Walk Through the Fire
by LeafontheWinf2
Summary: Bolin's return to Republic City was supposed to be a happy affair. Instead Bolin finds himself struggling to live in the present as the weight of his past memories press down on him. With his family and friends by his side. Bolin will begin to remember how to live, and even possibly forgive, once again.
1. Going Through the Motions

**This is not going to be a happy story. Just saying that now. In it Bolin and the refugees from Kuvira's camps returned to Republic City to try and try to readjust to their new lives after the horror. I'm writing this at the same time as I'm working on my thesis which is: Nazi Experiments in WWII. So everything I learn will end up here. **

**Mainly I realized a lot of people write about what happens in the camps, but not what happens when the prisoners go home. So this will look through Bolin's eyes as he readjusts to normal life and his story from the camps will come out slowly. Especially later on. **

**Look for ~*~ because that indicates a time shift which is rather important. **

* * *

Pushing through the crowds of people Asami and Korra slowly fought their way to the front of the crowd around the harbor. A whole mix of people were gathered there, benders and non-benders standing together with nervous expressions whispering under their breath. A message had been sent out to Republic City a little over a week ago from the military about an incoming ship. It was filled with people headed towards Republic City from the Earth Empire no doubt looking for a new start.

The message had been printed in the newspaper, taking up the entire paper itself. The entire thing had been a list of names of people coming into the city. The girls could still remember the moment their world had shifted because of that paper. The entire group had been at Air Temple Island, yes even Wu, where Bumi had been skimming the paper. It had been his yell that got everyone's attention.

"Whoa! Did not see that coming!" Bumi tossed the paper onto the table pointing at one of the names, "Tenzin, check that I'm reading that right."

Tenzin had complied, mostly because everyone had been watching, before a surprised look had crossed his face. Pulling away from the paper, the airbender had turned to Mako. "Mako, why is your brother listed with the incoming refugees?"

Mako hadn't had an answer. No one did. It was strange, Bolin had just disappeared after the siege of Zaufu. And now here was his name in the paper. Everyone wanted to know what had happened to him in that time.

Originally Mako had planned to confront his brother at the docks but something had come up in regards to Wu keeping him from going. He'd asked the girls to go in his stead and then bring Bolin back to the Island.

"I wonder what he's been doing this year," Asami runed to Korra and excited grin on her face, "I wasn't able to see him last time he stopped by the city!"

Korra didn't look half as excited. "I just want to know what he was doing with Kuvira all this time."

"I doubt if he's coming back with refugees he's still working with Kuvira…"

Before Korra could say anything back the loud sound of the ships doors opening passed over the port. The entire crowd fell silent, watching the doorway with wide eyes as the first refugees began to exit the boat. Neither girl could really see any details from this far away but they all looked surprised as they stared out over the crowd, their mouths hanging open in shock. It was like a spell had been cast over the entire port that kept them frozen in that period of time.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, a bright spark of red against the sea of greens and browns before announcing the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, please be patient. We'll be calling out your family member's name so you can come collect them as quickly as possible. If you don't hear your loved ones name, please wait behind and we'll see what the problem is. Now let's get these people home!"

Asami couldn't help but smile as the first name was called. A young woman went running into her father's arm, both openly sobbing in delight before heading home. This continued for quite a while, more and more people reunited with loved ones. But still the people kept flowing from the military ship. And the longer they waited the more nervous the people were becoming that their loved ones wouldn't be called.

"I'm sure we'll be able to pick up Bolin soon," Korra managed to sound hopeful, bumping her shoulder against Asami's.

Asami mustered a weak smile back, "I know. It's just...I worry about him. What if something bad happened and he got hurt?"

"I'm sure he's fine." Korra didn't care how stubborn she sounded, she just knew Bolin had to be fine. Because she wasn't sure what she would do if he wasn't. But even her faith began to wane when they crowd of people was gone except for a few nervous people. "Come on, let's go see what's keeping him."

They approached the nearest soldier, a cheerful looking waterbender who sent them a sympathetic smile. "Didn't call your family huh?" she said gently, "Well, I'm sure it's just a simple mix up. A couple of the refugees got really bad seasickness and are resting."

Asami let out a sigh of relief, "Thank the spirits, that must be where he is."

Korra beamed at that news. An almost evil smile was present on her face, "Oh, I'm going to have fun with that. Just wait till I tell Mako Bolin was delayed due to seasickness!"

"Bolin?" the soldier's sympathetic smile turned into a broad grin at his name, "You should have told me you were looking for Bolin! He's in a meeting with the General right now. Actually, they could probably use the Avatar's input also. I'll take you to them now!"

"Just what did Bolin get himself involved with?" Korra whispered as they hurried after the soldier into the ship. Asami just shrugged in response before hurrying deeper into the ship. A couple more turns and they were deep below deck. The soldier led them to a large metal door which she pulled open and stuck her head in. A quick conversation followed before she pulled back to face the girls. "The General said you could head on in. They're pretty much done."

With that Korra and Asami slipped into the room and were met with a strange sight. A group of people were gathered around the main table in the room all of them looked stressed and tired. General Iroh stood at the front of the room with another soldier by his side. They both had a stack of papers in front of them and looked exhausted.

The civilians in the room actually looked even worse in part because of their matching tattered grey outfits. They were all thin with dark circles under their eyes as they studied the soldiers with weary eyes. Closest to the door were two firebenders, a male and female with hard eyes. The male was holding the hand of a waterbender who had a death grip on him, her knuckles white. A pair of male non-benders were in the back staring at the table with dull haunted eyes while a massive earthbender was glaring at Iroh..

Asami's eyes were drawn to a waterbender that sat across the room from her. No doubt she had once been quite beautiful, but now her face was badly scarred. Not to mention her left arm was completely gone from the soldier down. And next to her sat Bolin.

He looked horrible. Asami wanted to run over and fuss over him then and there. Dark circles were clear against his pale face, his black hair was cropped short just like all of the other civilians. Asami could see blood stained bandages wrapped around his knuckles but that wasn't the most horrific part. No, what struck Asami was the thick bandages wrapped around Bolin's left eye. He looked honestly surprised to see them there, a shocked expression clear on his face even as the armless waterbender turned worried eyes to him.

General Iroh paused when he noticed them standing there, a strange look crossing his face before he returned his attention to the group gathered before him. "I think we can stop here for today," Iroh told them gently gaining several relieved expressions from the civilians, "It seems like some families are looking for you."

The waterbender missing an arm looked troubled, "And if there's no one here for us? What then?"

"We've reserved rooms for those who have no where to go at a hotel free of charge," the other soldier assured her, "So you don't have to worry about anything. We'll meet here again in two days time to give you all a chance to rest. Spirits know you haven't had any of that in far too long."

And then the people are all standing and shuffling from the room, blocking Bolin from view. It isn't until the majority of them leave that Asami can see Bolin standing there speaking softly to Iroh about something before pulling away and limping over to join them.

Asami can't help herself anymore. The moment Bolin sends her a tired smile she lunges forward pulling him into a desperate hug. "I missed you Bo," she whispered feeling Bolin pull her closer his whole body shaking.

A broken laugh left him. "You have no idea how much I missed you." Pulling back Bolin managed to muster a weak smile for the girls.

Korra tugged Bolin in for a quick hug her self before wrapping a friendly arm around his too thin shoulders. "I hope you're hungry cause Pema made all of your favorites," Korra said tugging Bolin towards the door, "We can't wait to hear what you've been up to!"

Bolin offered her a weak smile at that something that raised alarms in Asami's eyes. Bolin was trying to hide something big from them. He'd never done that before.

"Bolin!" The earthbender paused, turning back to meet Iroh's gaze. The General approached, arms behind his back as he stood before them. "I'll start looking into the matter you mentioned. I should have an answer for you tomorrow at the latest."

The relief on Bolin's face was obvious as he sagged in Korra's arms. "Thank you," he breathed out, "Should I swing by the ship sometime…"

"I'll stop by Airbender Island," Iroh promised, "It is the least I can do." And with that he stepped past them and disappeared into the depths of the ship.

Korra just stared after him, "What was that about?"

"Nothing really. He's just checking where one of my friends ended up," Bolin turned back to them with a smile, "Now what's this you said about food? Cause it feels like I haven't eaten in forever."

* * *

"The rains coming in," Baraz stated flatly seated on the broken porch of the barracks. No one really responded to the comment, they were all too exhausted to do much. Bolin himself just lay there out in the open not caring how the mud was seeping into his shoes and socks. It was just one more minor thing to deal with added to all the other problems they'd been facing. Not to mention he'd fallen ill a month ago and still hadn't gotten better.

They were all tired and hungry. The Empire soldiers didn't feed them often, and when they did the food wasn't even that good. Bolin had already fallen back into old habits from the streets to make it through the day. Under his bunk was a hollowed out section of earth where Bolin stored his half of his food. He'd taught the others this trick and they all followed it but it didn't make the days any easier.

A low noise caught Bolin's attention. He raised his head watching the Empire soldiers pushing a new group of people into the camp. They looked terrified, everyone did when they entered this camp. They stumbled along the fenced off corridor looking into the hollow eyes of the other prisoners for help.

"Looks like a new shipment from the west," Hiroshi, a giant of an earthbender, rumbled watching them with exhausted eyes, "Makes you wonder how long they're going to last."

Bolin's eyes fell on a straggler in the group. It was a child, a small looking boy of Fire Nation descent and he looked as if he would fall over at any minute. Bolin was on his feet before he knew what had happened.

"Bolin, don't," Baraz hissed reaching out to grab the earthbender. But Bolin wasn't listening. He started walking towards the fence his eyes locked on the child.

Sure enough, the child stumbled and fell to the ground. The soldier raised his metal whip and suddenly it wasn't some strange boy Bolin saw. It was another Fire Nation child with a red scarf wrapped around his neck, glaring up in defiance as he tried to be strong for his little brother. A snarl left the earthbender as he rushed the fence.

"Bolin! Don't do it!" Everyone was on their feet screaming at him. The other prisoners in his barrack were running towards him, no doubt hoping to stop him. Even across the camp on the women's side, the girls were pressed against the fence screaming for him to stop.

He didn't even think, everything was just too much. All the pain, all the suffering, all the humiliation he had faced during his time in the camp came out in the moment. Bolin screamed sending a blast of lava towards the Empire soldier forcing the man to back off of the child. His scream was filled with all the hate, fear, and desperation that had been growing in his during his time in the camp.

Bolin didn't expect to succeed for long, just enough to give that kid enough time to get up and run. And sure enough, even though that one guard was forced to run by the lava five more were already taking his place. But instead of beating that kid anymore, they turned their attentions towards Bolin.

Never before had pain felt so damned _good_! They were afraid of him, afraid of what he could do to them if he got angry enough. Bolin had never been a violent person but right then under the heel of the these men he wanted them all to suffer. Just like the terrified prisoners standing around had suffered from the cold, from hunger, from the ever constant fear of the guards. For the first time since he'd been forced into the camp, Bolin felt free.

Even as he lay there half unconscious from the beatings, his whole body radiating pain, Bolin couldn't help but smile. Because distantly he could hear the other prisoners all screaming at the guards getting progressively angrier as they grabbed Bolin and began to drag him from the yard.

Worn dirty faces were pressed against the fence, hatred filling their eyes as they screamed at the guards. One of them stood out in Bolin's hazy gaze. With blackness creeping into his vision she almost looked like Asami as the fence under her hands turned red hot as she screamed at the guards. "What kind of monsters are you!" the girl raged her voice booming over the other prisoners, "He was just saving a little boy! He didn't do anything wrong! You guards are the ones who are wrong, the ones who are monsters!"

The last thing Bolin saw as he was pulled away was a guard hitting the girl who looked like Asami to shut her up...

* * *

**The flashback is the only one out of the proverbial time line in the story. The rest of the time it will go day to day as Bolin continues to readjust to his life. Also, I wanted to get your guys ideas on what job Bolin will be entering: military, police, or activist for the refugees. **

**Please review, I love to get feedback on the stories I work on.**


	2. Rage Rage Against the Dying of the Light

**Several things influenced this portion of the story. The largest part was the time I spent living in Argentina. I lived in a town called Rosario and went to school next to a building where they tortured people. And yes, you read that right. So the issue of the Disappeared is very prominent in my mind because directly across from my school was the Museum of the Disappeared. So any direction I went it was there.**

**Honestly, I needed to get the information out there. Please, ask me as many questions as you want about the Disappeared and I'll answer them to the best of my ability.**

**Well, now that my rant is done: On with the story!**

* * *

Air Temple Island looked the same as always. Resting against the railing of the ferry Bolin watched the island as it got larger. He wasn't sure what to do really. Sure, he'd once dreamed of returning here, of curling up in bed and never leaving but now that he was back...Bolin had no idea what to do with himself.

He startled as a warm arm wrapped around his shoulders, turning to come face to face with Asami. Bolin had to struggle to keep from crying, she was still so beautiful. Just as beautiful as the other girls he'd met in the camp who would never come home...

"Hey," Asami said gently, shaking Bolin slightly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bolin turned away from her studying the water again, "Nothing is wrong."

"You sure? Cause you don't typically look so sad," Asami sounded worried as she tugged him close.

How could he tell her that every time he shut his eyes he heard the screams? That he felt the cold and the hunger again?

"It's nothing," Bolin muttered softly, "It just reminds me of the last time I was traveling."

And it really did. Bolin had been made a mistake, a serious mistake that had cost him. He'd talked to the wrong people, got pulled into the wrong situation. Next thing he'd known, he was on a train that took his straight into hell without a second thought.

"How were your travels?" Korra asked coming up on his other side. "Did you go anywhere interesting?"

"I went north for a long time," Bolin admitted. His bandaged eye was beginning to itch and he just wanted to scratch it, "It was cold up there, had to be careful not to freeze. Learned how to sandbend for a couple of weeks, met a couple of good people."

"You can sandbend?" Korra looked delighted by the information, "Can you show me?"

Bolin knew his smile looked strained now. "I might. For now I just want to rest." And maybe, if he was very lucky he'd be able to sleep.

* * *

He'd been pulled out of Republic City when the riots had started in Ba Sing Se. Kuvira had decided that Bolin would be the best person to calm them down for some reason. Appear as my representative to the people, she'd said, remind them of our cause.

But Bolin couldn't, not after the whole crushing people who opposed us thing. Kuvira was hiding something from him, something big. And Bolin was determined to get to the bottom of it which was why he'd agreed to go to Ba Sing Se.

Stepping off the train in the lower quarters of the city, Bolin pulled his bag up onto his shoulder, he'd ditched the uniform the moment he stepped into the city for his old clothing. So now he didn't stand out as he walked down the road surrounded by the other citizens who were going about their day.

It was nice to disappear into the flow of people. Bolin he actually forgotten how great it was to just disappear, he couldn't help but smile. No one looked at him with expectations, no one wanted to know about the Avatar or ask after his brother. He was just Bolin another face among the many.

It was probably because he was on his own that he stumbled across it.

The remains of the walls of Ba Sing Se still rose above the city. Bolin hadn't originally paid any attention to them bit as he passed by the closest one he froze unable to tear his eyes away. Plastered across the wall was hundreds of faces staring down at the people walking below. None of the people met the eyes of the pictures but Bolin couldn't look away. His eyes were drawn to one picture of a little girl in particular.

"Excuse me," Bolin reached out catching a man's jacket and pulling him to a stop, "Can you tell what these pictures are?"

"You must be new here," the man said offering Bolin a sympathetic smile. "Those are the Disappeared."

"The who?"

"The Disappeared. People all over the city have been going missing, no one knows where they've went. Families leave pictures on the wall in the hopes someone will recognize their family members and bring them home."

"Do they know who's behind it?" Bolin already had a sinking feeling he knew but he had to hear someone else say it.

And sure enough, there it was. "We all know the Earth Empire's behind it. Look, just keep your head down. If you ask the wrong questions you're face will end up on that wall."

With that the man flowed back into the crowds leaving Bolin alone on the street. The young lavabender continued down the street eyes trained on the dirty road. So he was right, there was something wrong in the Earth Empire. How could Kuvira be making these people disappear? What had they done to deserve this?

That was a child's picture. A child was missing for some reason and no one could find them. What possible justification could there be for that?

Unaware of where he was headed as he moved, Bolin soon found himself in the richer part of town. The people here looked just as scared as the people on the poorer rings. No one would look up, they were all hurrying about their business.

All of them but one.

An older woman was standing in the middle of the street, a stack of pictures clasped in her hands. She was obviously very well off by her elaborate dress, she stood out here. Bolin had to wonder what a wealthy woman would be doing here.

He moved out of the street to watch. She was passing out the papers asking people questions as they moved past her. Bolin stood there for ten minutes, and she continued passing out the papers that entire time never losing hope as she continued her work.

Gathering his courage Bolin slowly approached the woman. He had to know what she was passing out. The woman's teary green eyes met Bolin's even as a watery smile managed to cross her face. Her hand was shaking as she held out a picture of a smiling young woman towards him. Bolin reached out and took it gently.

"Please, I'm trying to find my daughter," the woman said softly exhaustion clear in her voice, "She disappeared a month ago, I haven't been able to find her. Please, if you've seen her anywhere..."

"I'm so sorry, I haven't." The woman deflated but Bolin knew she wouldn't stop in her search. She obviously loved her daughter too much to stop looking. Bolin remembered the fear of not knowing where a loved one was. There had been days when Mako had just seemed to disappear and Bolin had been out of his mind with worry. He would never wish that on anyone.

Bolin reached out, taking her hands in his. He offered the woman a small smile, "But don't worry. I'm going to do everything in my power to find your daughter." The woman let out a sob of pure relief crumpling into Bolin's arms. "It can't be safe for you in the Ba Sing Se doing this. Please, I have a brother in Republic City whose a police officer. I'll send him the information when I find her and he'll get it to you there."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman gasped out pulling back and offering Bolin a delighted smile tears streaming down her face, "I'll head to Republic City tonight! I can't believe...I can't thank you enough."

Bolin watched her rush back into the crowd as a dark feeling began to well up inside of him. He wanted to find someone and force her to tell him where this girl was. He wanted to reunite this family that he had played a part in pulling apart. Bolin started storming towards the government building the only place he knew he would get answers.

He threw open the door to the building pushing his way past the guards, not listening as they tried to stop him. All of his attention was focused on the commanding officer seated smugly behind his desk. Bolin's eyes narrowed as he stormed up to the desk, slamming the picture of the girl on the desk. The soldier looked unimpressed as he leaned back in his chair and studied Bolin.

"Corporal Bolin," the soldier drawled out, "The Great Uniter mentioned you would be joining us to quiet the unrest. What can I do for you?"

Bolin pushed the picture forward across the desk. "I'm looking for this girl. Where is she?"

The soldier's eyes widened as he look a quick look at the picture. "The Ba Sing Se rose," he then fixed Bolin with a searching look, "A well known dangerous anarchist. What could you possibly want with her?"

"Her mother wanted me to bring her home."

"She was arrested for causing the riots we had earlier this month," he slid the picture back to Bolin, "She has been dealt with. The matter has been dealt with, you can tell that to the mother."

"Wonderful." Bolin's smile was deadly, "Just tell me which prison she's in so she can visit her daughter and I'll leave."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're not cleared for that information. Drop it."

Bolin leaned in close, no longer smiling. "No. Tell. Me. Where. She. Is."

The commander looked furious, "You have no idea who you are messing with. If you think Kuvira is going to protect you when it comes to this issue then you are wrong. All I need to do is tell her that you're working with the Ba Sing Se rose and you'll disappear just as quickly as her."

"So you have been disappearing people." Bolin pulled back a disgusted expression crossing his face, "And to think I believed that I was helping people by working for you."

"That's treason boy. You take that back now or I will be forced to take action against you."

"I don't think I will." Bolin snarled back, "Your so called Empire is rotten to the core. I had to be the biggest idiot to think you were helping people here. The Earth Kingdom would have been better off it the Empire never existed."

The commander's eyes flashed as pure rage turned his face a dark purple. "That's it. You're under arrest for being an anarchist. You want to know what happened to the Ba Sing Se rose? Well you will now, because you're going to be joining her."

* * *

Bolin let Korra drag him off of the ferry and back onto the island. It felt weird to be standing there once more, he'd spent so much time convinced he would never see it again. It was the second most beautiful thing he had seen in his life.

"Everyone's inside waiting for you," Korra explained delightedly tugging Bolin further into the island, "They all wanted to come pick you up from the docks with us."

Asami quickly cut in walking next to Bolin. "But we had no idea how long the wait would take and they wanted to make sure that the food was still warm by the time you got back."

Bolin had to keep from freezing at that comment. He wasn't sure how he felt about being surrounded by everyone right now. He kind of just wanted to curl up in a room by himself and sleep for the next year. Asami must have seen something on his face because she quickly said, "If you don't want to see them, that's fine too…"

"No, what? Asami it's fine," Bolin assured her quickly somehow managing to get a smile on his face, "I just wasn't expecting everyone to come. It's not a big deal that I''m back."

"Of course its a big deal!" Korra fixed him with an unamused look for his comment, "We missed you, so of course we're going to welcome you home."

Bolin managed to smile somehow as Korra pushed open the door to the dining room. She sent the room a blinding grin announcing, "Look who I picked up!"

Bolin realed back as he was hit by a wave of noise. People were all moving towards him, just a sea of people. He had to get out, had to get away, it was always bad when it was that loud and they all had to move at once. Bolin was beginning to debate if he should just turn and run right then, drag Korra and Asami with him.

But just as he was about to turn, two arms wrapped around him and pulled him in for a hug. A very familiar hug. Bolin threw himself into the embrace burying his face in that familiar chest comforted by the scent of smoke and sandalwood. "Hey Bo," Mako whispered burying his face in his younger brother's hair, "It's been a while."

Bolin clung tighter to his brother, trying not to break down into relieved tears as he clung tight. "Hey yourself," he managed to rasp out.

He had to keep from crying out as Mako gently pushed him away no doubt to get a good look at his younger brother for the first time in over a year. Bolin already knew what Mako was going to see and it was not pretty.

Mako couldn't help the stupid grin that was stretched across his face as he hugged his younger brother. He pulled away to get a good look at his little brother wondering what kind of changes this year apart had caused. And that was when the smile slid off of his face. Bolin was far too thin and pale for Mako's standards, the worn grey robes he was wearing were basically falling off of his frame. But what really caught Mako's attention was the bandage covering half of his little brother's face, and judging from the sudden silence behind him everyone else had seen it also.

"Spirits Bolin," Mako hissed reaching up to tenderly touch the bandages, "What happened?"

Bolin let out an uneasy laugh at that question. "Funny story that. Let's just say I should have ducked a lot faster than I managed."

That just made Mako even more concerned. He knew his little brother had great reflexes, years of pro-bending helped with that. Something bad had happened to his little brother and now he was trying to cover it up.

Kya moved forward, a gentle smile on her face. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I can fix it right up…"

"NO!"

Mako pulled back in surprise as Bolin wrenched himself out of Mako's hold a terrified look on his gaunt face. There was fear in his brother's eyes, pure fear as he stared at Kya. Mako had never seen Bolin look that terrified of someone in his life.

Somehow Bolin managed to get control over himself, slowing his heartbeat down and relaxing. Once he was no longer on the verge of doing something stupid he was able to see the surprised looks on everyone's faces in the room. Mako looked heartbroken as he studied Bolin, Kya looked taken aback by his scream.

Only Bumi didn't look shocked by the situation. The once soldier was watching Bolin with knowing eyes, a frown on his usually smiling face.

Taking a deep breath Bolin managed a weak smile for Kya. "Oh geez, I'm so sorry about that," Bolin rubbed his neck nervously, "It's just, the medic on the ship took a look at it earlier today. He gave me some medicine and said not to take the bandage off for twenty four hours. I just wanted to be careful."

Luckily that seemed to settle everyone down. Bolin let himself get pulled into the fray of people accepting hugs and well wishes. Kai held onto him for a particularly long time a delighted expression on his young face. "It's good to have you back," Kai said delightedly, "I've missed you."

Bolin once again had to struggle not to cry. "I missed you too kid."

Pema was the one to force Bolin to sit down at the table. She quickly loaded his plate with everything he'd mentioned he like giving him a motherly smile and a quick hug. "I made sure to grab you some of those noodles you love so much," Pema told him cheerfully taking her seat next to Tenzin.

Bolin let himself just drift on the happy conversation going on around him safely placed between Mako and Kai. It feels good to be here among his friends and family again, and slowly Bolin can feel himself starting to smile for real. He even let himself be dragged into the conversation something he wasn't sure he'd be able to do that day. But it happened.

"So come on, you have to tell me how you learned sandbending," Korra begged eyes shining.

Bolin shrugged as everyones attention turned to him after Korra's comment. "There's not much to say really," Bolin admitted, "I was held up at this one place for a while, it was pretty hard to get out at that time of year so there weren't many options. I met the sandbender there and we started to talk."

"So he just taught you how to sandbend?" Lin demanded scepticism clear on her face, "Just like that?"

"Nah, he taught me because we were all really bored," Bolin laughed a little at that remembering that week, "We were snowed into the bara...the cabin due to an early winter storm and there was nothing to do. But we had some dust on the floor, so we convinced the sandbender to try and bend it."

"And it worked?" Lin asked skeptically.

"Not at all." Bolin chuckled a bit at that, "But somehow he'd managed to smuggle a bag of sand in and we used that to practice. He taught all the earthbenders, and I just kept up with it until I could actually manage it."

Korra looked insanely delighted by the news, "Can you teach me to sandbend?"

But Mako had his own question. Turning to Bolin, Mako asked, "Where did you go that a guy had to smuggle in _sand_?"

Bolin's smile froze as he ducked his head to regard the table. Mako noticed his hands were shaking as he placed down his chopsticks on the table with a loud clatter. "I...I think I'm more tired than I expected," Bolin's voice was shaky, "If it's alright I'd like to head to bed and get some rest."

"Of course," Pema was up and moving leading Bolin from the with a motherly smile, "I've got a room set up for you."

Mako could only watch helplessly as the door slid shut behind them taking his brother away again. An awkward silence had fallen over the table as everyone tried to think just what set Bolin off like that.

Not surprisingly it was Ikki who broke the silence. "What's wrong with Bolin?" she asked innocently as the adults traded worried looks, "He was acting really funny."

"Not to mention how sick he looks," Kai muttered softly. That was something Mako had been wondering about also.

"Forget about that!" Meelo slammed his hands on the kitchen table, "I want to hear about how he got an eyepatch! That's so cool!"

"Whoa there buddy, don't get ahead of yourself," Bumi cut in quickly. Tenzin, Kya, and Lin all shared surprised looks at that. "You have to remember Bolin's been gone for a long time, and more importantly he came in on a refugee ship. That's not usually a good thing."

Mako's eyes narrowed as every protective instinct was raised in his body. "You think something happened to my brother?" he growled out.

"He's wearing an eyepatch," Lin cut in a sympathetic expression on her face as she regarded Mako, "I'm pretty sure whatever caused that was bad."

It was a struggle not to get up and go running after Bolin. He just wanted to pull his little brother in for a hug and demand what had happened since they parted. He just wanted to make all of Bolin's problems go away just like he had when they were children.

It was quiet as they finished dinner. All of them stuck wondering what had happened to change Bolin.

* * *

**Right, so I spent a lot of time wondering how Bolin would get thrown into the camps. I finally decided on him looking for the girl because it plaes him firmly against Kuvira's regime when he enters the camps. The Rose of Ba Sing Se will be very important later on as Bolin starts to readjust to normal life.**

**Yes, Bolin is afraid of Kya. He has a very good reason which I will be going into. Remember that I'm basing the camp off of Auschwitz, so Doctor Mengele will be making an appearance. Just that name should give you enough of an idea of why he'd be afraid of doctors or healers. If you don't know who Mengele is look him up. But be warned, he is a monster and it is very hard to read what he does to people. **


	3. Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night

**Alright, so...this chapter is going to start being tough. Just a heads up, later sections will be heading into M area later on. I will be warning oyu when that will happen, cause the majority of this story is still teen. Don't worry, it won't be happening for a little while longer. **

* * *

Bolin had been shoved onto a train that was leaving Ba Sing Se. He was pushed into a crowded compartment already crammed with other people. He had settled down in the corner of the train car with the other people. The guards of the prison hadn't let him change so Bolin was still wearing his street clothes, something he was happy for when they were all shoved together.

Next to him was a mother holding her crying child. They were both obviously Fire Nation, just like the majority of people in the car. There were a couple of Earth Nation there also but they were the minority there.

It was hot in the train car. They would have given anything for a waterbender as they all sweated in the heat. The first day they were all quiet, too busy wondering where they were going, what they could do to escape. By the second day they were all resigned to their fate. Bolin didn't even care where he was going anymore, he didn't care about the girl he'd gone to find. He just wanted off this fucking hot train.

Day two they were all trading stories, getting to know each other. They didn't know how long they would be stuck together so why not?

"I'm from the lower ring," the mother next to him told the car when it was her turn, her child clinging to her dress, "I left my home in the Fire Nation because I loved my husband. I didn't care that we were poor, I was just happy to be with him. He died when the terrorists brought the wall down last year. He'd been trying to help people and he was killed by the lava. Left me and out son Hidashi here alone."

For the first time since she'd gotten on the train, tears filled the mother's eyes. "I did everything the Earth Empire asked," she whispered brokenly kissing the top of her son's head, "I paid all my taxes, I was a good citizen. And now they arrested me and my son just because we're Fire Nation."

Heavy silence fell over the train car because it was true. They were all here because they were Fire Nation. One of the other men turned to Bolin, "What's your story? How'd you get on this train kid?"

"I asked where they'd taken some girl. I...I saw her mother handing out her picture and I knew I had to help. I always have to help," Bolin let his eyes fall closed as he let his head thunk against the train car wall, "My brother always told me I needed to be more selfish. We grew up on the street and he took care of me. It was hard enough with just that but we're mixed. It's obvious when we're together, no one wanted to give jobs to mixed race kids. Mixed kids are seen as the lowest of the low, no wanted anything to do with us."

He clenched his hands into fists. "That's when I wanted to start helping people. Since no one helped us, I wanted...I just wanted to give another kid the help that no one ever gave us. I wanted to help people so badly I even joined Kuvira's military. I bought every lie she fed me about doing good and making the world a better place. What kind of idiot am I?"

There was a long drawn out silence when Bolin finished talking. He only opened his eyes when he felt the mother's gentle hand on his arm. He was faced with the sympathetic faces of every person in the train car. And it was because he was one of Kuvira's soldiers. A soldier who had actually cared to look for one of them.

"What made you look for the girl," one of the men whispered. It was a hopeful plea, what would it take for someone to come looking for them.

"That mother reminded me of my brother," Bolin admitted softly, "I knew if I disappeared he'd be out there doing the same thing as her. And I'd want someone to help him."

They spent a week on that train. There was no food given to any of them, and only enough water to keep them from dying of thirst. Bolin spent half of his time comforting Hidashi when his mother needed to rest and the other half trying to keep everyone's spirits up. It was hard, especially when he was losing hope also.

Finally though they were pulled from the train. The soldiers forced them out, armed with whips and guns as they forced them to march towards a cluster of buildings. One of the men broke free from the group taking off at a dead run for the hills. One of the guards pulled out their gun and Bolin could only watch as he pulled the trigger.

The crack of the gun brought the entire group of prisoners to silence as they watched in horror. The man's head exploded in a spray of blood as he crumpled to the ground dead. Again the urge to be able to metalbend rose in Bolin as he was dragged along with the other prisoners into the camp. One of the guards stood in front of the closest building directing the prisoners as they shuffled past. "Men to the right, women and children to the left. Men to the right, women and children to the left."

They were divided up quickly the guards ripping families apart when they tried to stay together. Bolin watched as one of the guards pulled a screaming boy from his mother the two reaching out for each other as they were separated. Husbands and wives were pulled from each other leaving the people sobbing as they were pulled into different sections of the buildings.

"Where are you taking them?" one of the men screamed as a guard dragged him away from a crying woman and child, "Where are you taking my wife and child?"

"They're going to take a shower," the guard responded coldly.

Bolin's eyes caught the mother he'd sat next to holding little Hidashi's hand as they were led away. The child waved goodbye to Bolin and he could only wave back helplessly before the pair disappeared into the crowd of women and children. Bolin was also shoved helplessly along with the mass of men and older children into another building.

High overhead a massive metal slab was hung over the buildings gathered behind it. The symbol of the Earth Empire had been stamped into the metal along with a phrase. "Work will set you free." Bolin would come to hate that phrase just as much as he hated the guards of the camp.

But even years later Bolin would always wonder: how could just asking where a person was lead to this?

* * *

Mako slid open the door to Bolin's room quietly before creeping him. He expected to find his brother asleep in bed, tired from the long journey no doubt. Instead Bolin was sitting pressed against the rooms wall, face buried in Pabu's fur.

Creeping over to his side, Mako took a seat next to Bolin before gently pulling Bolin in for a hug. The earthbender moved with the motion, resting his head on Mako's shoulder quietly. All Mako could do was hold him close, gently running a hand through Bolin's hair. It had been a form of comfort when they'd been on the streets.

"You don't have to tell me what's wrong," Mako whispered into the silence of the room. Bolin froze in his arms, and clutched Pabu even closer causing the fire ferret to squeak. "Just remember if you ever need to talk, I'm here to listen."

Bolin was quiet for a long while just leaning against his older brother. It was taking everything Mako possessed not to grab Bolin by the shoulders and shake the answers out of him. Eventually though Bolin pulled himself away from Mako.

He reached down, gently uncoiling the bandages around his left arm. His forearm was covered in scrapes and scars that hadn't been there last time the brothers had met. But that wasn't what Bolin wanted to show Mako.

Instead he turned his arm over revealing the underside of his arm for Mako to study. Mako's gaze was drawn to one area in specific. There was a brand on his little brother's arm. Someone had branded Bolin like an animal. Red was starting to creep into his vision even as Mako reached out to gently wrap his hand around Bolin's too thin wrist.

It was a simple brand. The symbol for the earth kingdom was marked into his brother's skin with the fire nation sign over it. Under that was another mark, the number twenty four burned into his brother's skin.

Again the urge to demand what had happened to Bolin overcame Mako, but he kept control of himself. Something was telling him Bolin needed the quiet more.

"I wanted to show this to you so you'd have an idea of what happened," Bolin whispered while retying the wrappings. The moment he was done Pabu clambered back into his lap. "They sent me to a reeducation camp, that's why I was on the ship with the other refugees."

"Spirits Bo," Mako whispered tugging his brother closer for comfort.

Bolin let out a hopeless laugh even as he returned to hiding his face in Mako's shoulder, "Don't worry I'm fine. The others came out of the camp in worse condition than me. It's just...it's really hard to talk about what happened there…"

"Hey, that's fine. You don't have to tell me anything," Mako whispered smiling gently when Bolin turned watery eyes up at him. "Just remember I'll be there if you ever need to talk about it."

"You've gotten better at the emotion thing," Bolin chuckled lowly a small smile crossing his face, "What happened?"

Mako rolled his eyes, "Prince Wu and his delicate sensibilities happened. Every time I yelled at him, grandma yelled at me for being rude to royalty."

"You're still working for him? I thought Lin would have pulled you back on the force by now," Bolin teased laughing as Mako scowled at him. The older bender shoved Bolin who was cackling like mad.

"It's not funny Bo," Mako complained, "He can't do anything. Wu managed to get himself kidnapped using the bathroom. Seriously, stop laughing."

They settled down for the night, curled up against the wall with Pabu pressed between them. It was almost like old times, except they were well fed and indoors. The two brother's fell asleep curled against each other with Pabu curled up around Bolin's neck. It was a much better start than Bolin was used to.

* * *

The guards shoved the make prisoners deeper into the building faces harsh as they glared down at the scared prisoners. Bolin frowned as they were forced into a room filled with stools. Each person was forced onto one of the stools while a doctor in white lab coats came up to look them over. Bolin struggled not to fidget as each one check him over, shining light into his eyes, picking through his hair, checking his pulse. It was disturbingly intimate.

The medic pulled away from Bolin before turning to his assistant who was writing furiously on the clipboard next to him. "He's clear. No lice or fleas, no present illnesses," the medic announced duly before returning his attention to Bolin, "Say your last name and nation of birth."

"Bolin, and I'm from Republic City."

"I didn't ask for the city, I wanted to know the nation of birth," the medic told him coldly. "What nation were your parents from?"

His confusion was growing along with the feeling of dread, "My dad was from the Earth Kingdom, and my mom was Fire Nation."

"A half breed then," the disgust was clear in the medic's voice as he addressed his assistant, "You see, this is the filth the Great Uniter wants cleared from the Empire. A good thing they managed to catch the boy. Mark him down for both nations and leave a note for this to be taken to the labs. He might be useful."

The assistant nodded before reaching out and dragging Bolin from the stool and to the end of the hallway. Another table was set up there with another round of bored looking guards just watching the proceedings. "This one is from Earth and Fire Nation," the assistant informed them before disappearing back into the mass of bodies that filled the rooms.

One of the guards gestured impatiently, "Hold out your left arm."

Bolin glared back, "No."

The guard rolled his eyes before waving his hand to his comrades. It took them quick work to wrestle Bolin to the ground, forcing him to hold out his arm so the underside was showing. No matter how hard he struggled against the people holding him, Bolin was unable to break free.

His eyes widened in horror as the guard pulled out a red hot brand. "No! Nononononono," Bolin cried out struggling to get away. The guard looked disgruntled, "Hold him still."

The two guards pinned Bolin down letting the other guard press the brand to his arm. The hiss of the fire sounded in the now silent room before the screaming started. Bolin screamed in agony the searing pain of his burning flesh traveling up his arm. Distantly he was aware of the people behind him panicking as they realized this was the fate that awaited them once they were cleared by the doctors.

The guards hauled Bolin up off of the table and dragged him to the next room. He could still hear the others screaming in fear and pain behind him. "Strip," one of the guards ordered. Bolin guessed if he refused they'd force his clothes off anyway, so what the hell he complied. Once his clothes were gathered in a corner a new pile of clothing was shoved into his arms with a terse order to get dressed. Bolin quickly pulled on the scratchy grey clothing before he was ushered into another room.

"Wait here for your room assignment," the guard said coldly before slamming the door behind him as he left.

Bolin stood there awkwardly in the middle of the room, arms wrapped around himself. This had to be the worst welcome he'd ever received in his life.

* * *

**Yeah, Bolin's a little shit with the guards. He does not get along with them at all. This is going to be a huge problem for him later on. This is just the beginning of their time here and it will be getting a lot worse. **

**Review please! **


	4. Hanging Tree

**Oh my god. This was supposed to be a oneshot. I am now at 73 pages and still going. **

**Alright I decided to try something that Bolinlover123 suggested where the flashbacks are in italics. Let me know how it feels because having half of this in italics could be interesting. Also the angst is going to happen.**

**Ok. So if you couldn't tell from the tags, Bolin and Iroh are listed in a relationship. The first hints of this are in this chapter and will continue developing throughout the story. There are reasons for this I'll be explaining throughout the story. But first things first: I do NOT want to see any flames about their relationship in a story based on the Holocaust. Seriously. Just don't do it because the terrible things that have happened to gays in the Holocaust is going to be appearing in this later. **

**Now that that's done, please enjoy. **

* * *

Safe inside of the Air Temple, two brothers slept curled together for the first time in years. The older one slept easily gently holding his little brother close as the night wore on. But the younger brother's sleep was not so peaceful. Horrifying nightmares plagued him as he tried to sleep through the night. Bolin whimpered in his sleep body twitching as horrifying memories continued to play through his head…

_He was so hungry….no one should ever have to feel that awful empty feeling of true hunger…he'd thought he'd never be this hungry ever again…._

_Bolin could hear the children crying around him…soft broken sobs as they wailed…"Get up Bolin…get up he's coming…." It didn't matter nothing did in this in between place of life and death. Bolin barely even had the strength to lift his head…_

_Kazuki lay next to him, the small child clinging to Bolin's hand as terrified tears rolled down the young face…behind him Akita was screaming in agony…a constant grating sound as she yelled and yelled…_

_A blink and it's a different scene but one just as familiar as the other…Bolin strapped down to a metal table too weak to escape…_

_The doctors stand around him whispering about his conditions. "Halfbreed" is what he hears them hiss the most…_

_And there he is, the devil who haunts every waking moment. Bolin is unsure if he can ever escape the sickening influence of this monster…how dare he smile as if he is here to help…how dare he pretend he is a real doctor…how can Bolin ever escape the memories…_

"_I must say 24, you have certainly been the best so far," the voice is like poisonous oil drowning Bolin, "Your lavabending is extraordinary. But let's see it try to save you from this."_

_He's holding a needle, spirits no anything but that…Bolin can't breathe as the needle enters his arm, as the monster injects something into him…he's seen what it does people get shots and never wake up…don't close your eyes, Bolin thinks to himself even as the darkness begins to descend…_

_Don't close your eyes, or you'll never wake up…_

_Don't close your eyes, or you'll never…_

_Don't close your eyes, or you'll…_

_Don't close your eyes…_

_Don't close…_

_Don't…_

_Then nothing._

With a gasp Bolin returned to the world of the waking. He'd fallen asleep. Bolin was horrified to realize he'd broken the first rule. Never fall asleep because you may never wake up. He had to get away from here, had to get out of this room. The walls were closing in on him they would slowly suffocate him until nothing was left why were they trapping him here?

Stumbling to his feet Bolin ran out of the bedroom blind to anything but the outdoors. Throwing open the door Bolin tripped over himself letting out an agonized sob as he crumpled to the floor. He needed to see the moon. The moon would help. It was always there for him, a steady source of comfort from the horrors of reality. When the little ones cried Bolin would point out the moon and tell them it was a beautiful spirit watching over them.

Another sob burst from his chest as Bolin smashed his fists weakly into the wooden floor. Spirits but he hated wood, hated how it kept him from the world, kept him isolated. Why were they doing this to him? Why were they torturing him? He thought Pema could help but if she'd surround him with wood then maybe she was in league with the doctor…

Before he could continue that train of thought, Bolin felt powerful arms wrap around him. He kicked and struggled, too scared to scream even as they was dragged out of the hallway. They'd said he'd be safe here, Bolin had stupidly believed them. He refused to let them take him back to the operating room. He'd bite off his tongue and drown in his own blood first.

He needed to get out of this hold. Bolin continued to struggle even as he was pulled outside. He tried to twist free frantically but was only pulled against a powerful chest. They were going to hurt him again, he didn't want to hurt he want to sleep. Strange…it sounded like someone was talking to him.

"It's alright Bo you're safe here I've got you no one will ever hurt you again I'll kill them first before they touch you just breathe," he knew that voice, the comforting deep voice whispering in his ear. Bolin could feel himself calming as the voice continued to whisper and the arms held him close (no longer a threat, safe and warm in these arms) as Bolin began to recognize who was speaking to him, "Just look up the moon is shining tonight I know how much you love the moon don't worry I'm here to protect you nothing bad will ever happen as long as I can stop it…"

"Iroh," Bolin whispered pulling back far enough to stare into the worried golden eyes of the general who held him close. Bolin managed a frail smile, "What are you doing here?"

"Bumi wanted me to explain the newest threat," Iroh murmured back voice low and soft in the still night air, "I was just heading back to my ship when I saw you needed help."

That was embarrassing. Bolin flushed with shame as he dropped his eyes to the ground,

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that."

"It's fine I was expecting it soon," Iroh waved of his apology, "Nightmares only come when you're mind feels safe enough to rest. That's why no one had them on the ship. But here where you know you're safe…"

"They'll be coming for me more," Bolin whispered back burying his head in space between Iroh's neck and shoulder, "I…I can't go back to sleep Iroh. I'm scared if I do I'll never wake up."

"That's fine," the general murmured kissing the top of Bolin's head. "Why don't we play Pai Sho until the morning, and once its light I'll take you to the hospital to check in with everything."

"Sounds perfect," Bolin murmured letting Iroh lead him back into the house, clinging to the general's robes desperately like it was his last connection to reality.

They knew each other quite well, they'd spoken often during the voyage but that wasn't all of it. Bolin had spent weeks one on one with Iroh before they departed for Republic City helping to organize the refugees and provide aid. During that time the two had developed a strong friendship.

But it was more than that on Bolin's side. How could he not have fallen in love with the man who saved him?

* * *

_Bolin had been shoved into the barracks with a group of other prisoners. People gave their barrack a wide berth because it was the strangest one there. Most of them were divided up by their nation, so all one was all Fire Nation, another Earth, and the final Water. But not Bolin's. They were a mix of people shoved into the same barrack._

_He was an earthbender, he still hadn't admitted he was a lavabender. Baraz was a firebender, Hiroshi an earthbender, and Fahim was a sandbender. They were a strange mix but that wasn't the strangest part of it. No, it was that they were the only ones in the barrack, the other ones were packed to the brim with people who had to sleep three to a bunk. It had them all nervous, except for Hiroshi who had been here for a while._

_"It's cause the commandant is gone," Hiroshi explained to them one day, "We're the ones who are going to be doing the really dirty jobs along with the women's dorm across from us. As soon as he gets back we'll start working our asses off and it will be a whole different story."_

_Baraz looked up at that from where he and Bolin had curled up together against the wall of the barrack ("Sleep alone die alone," Fahim had told them the first night, "It gets cold at night, share heat so you don't freeze"). "What do you mean?" the firebender demanded._

_"Simple. Bolin, Fahim, and I are going to be digging for them," Hiroshi told them a haunted expression on his face, "While you'll be working with another firebender names Akita in the ovens. They also have a couple of waterbenders over there who will be in the hospital."_

_"Where is the commandant?" Bolin asked._

_"Finding some new people to for the doctor," Hiroshi had a disgusted look on his face,_

_"There's a man you want to avoid. Catch the doctor's eye and you'll never be seen again."_

_Fahim cut in, his soft voice echoing in the room, "You've seen the children's barack next to us. They're his subjects, so they're treated differently than the other children in the barracks across the camp."_

_"And he's out getting more of them?" Bolin couldn't help the horror from growing inside of him. Just the thought of someone experimenting on a child was horrific._

_"That's what the commandant is for. He keeps all the dirty work going," Hiroshi explained,_

_"Look, just keep any special bending talents hidden and you should be fine. Baraz is you can bend lightning, avoid it at all costs. Bolin…whatever earth magic you can pull off just don't. Keep your head down and make it through the day. That's all anyone can ask for."_

_They spent the week getting to know the girls across the way. Akita was a firebender with a wicked sense of humor and some very strong ideas. Bolin had already watched her call out several of the guards on their apparent war crimes before being beat down with the whips. It got to the point where Bolin and the others would trade off the job of dragging_

_Akita away when she'd start screaming at the guards._

_Ahnah was the only waterbender there, although rumor had the commandant was bringing a new one when he returned. "They don't like to keep waterbenders here," Ahnah told Bolin one day as they were waiting for their food to be served, "It's going to start snowing here, and snow and waterbenders are a dangerous combination. At most there's three of us and we're monitored closely."_

_The only other woman was a mixed race non-bender named Fatma who refused to speak about her job. She was pale, her eyes haunted whenever anyone talked to her. When Baraz asked Ahnah, the waterbender admitted Fatma worked for the doctor._

_Not only that but Bolin got to know the children next door. They were precious little things, the youngest around three and the oldest at fifteen. Bolin quickly became a favorite with them because he would sit with at least four children draped across him before telling the children at large fairy tales he knew. The majority were just silly things Mako had made up when they'd been young, but several had been taught to him by Asami._

_Hiroshi seemed to take pity on him. "Don't get close to the kids," he told Bolin one night when they were hunkering down to sleep, "They're not going to last long. Once the doctor and the commandant come back, they'll start disappearing."_

_But Bolin refused to listen. The kids needed someone, they looked at him with trusting eyes and clung to his clothes. They never asked him to save them, just to give them a little more hope._

_At the end of the week the commandant returned. Walking with him was the doctor who wore his Earth Empire uniform with pride. He made Bolin want to punch his smug face in. Following behind the pair was a group of people, all of them exhausted and worn looking. They were even thinner than Bolin and the prisoners which was saying something. Bolin watched as a young boy stumbled before rushing over to help save him. He finally used his lava even though he was beaten into the ground and dragged away. Akita shook the fence screaming at them to leave him alone, that they were monsters, everything she could think of as she watched Bolin's unconscious body be pulled away._

_Standing in the road, the doctor turned to the commandant. "A lavabender?" the doctor asked with a raised brow, "How soon can I have him?"_

_"After tomorrow he's all yours," the commandant informed him, "But we'll be needing him to help prepare where the filth will go."_

_"Of course, I'll be sure he's always ready to perform your work commandant."_

* * *

Mako woke up to an empty room. He would never admit it but he was terrified for a brief moment about where his brother had gotten to. It was almost like the previous night had just been a dream where his little brother was home and safe from Kuvira's reach.

The sound of the door sliding open caught his attention. He turned to see the disappointed expressions on Korra and Asami's face as they peaked through the opening. "Aw, is Bolin up already?" Korra complained, "I wanted to see him before breakfast."

Right, that's where Bolin was. He was probably already eating. "Looks like he wasn't thattired after all," Mako mused clambering to his feet and leaving the room.

"Then I guess we better go find him," Asami said cheerfully bending down to scoop up Pabu before the group of friends started towards the dining room. It wasn't a long walk to get there from the men's dormitories so in a matter of minutes they were entering the room. They expected to see Bolin and Pema chatting happily over breakfast, maybe one of the air kids or two. But not this.

Bolin was seated towards the back of the table across from General Iroh (when had he arrived?) and Bumi. The three were wrapped up in a heated discussion, unaware of the confused looks they were getting from the rest of the table. Meelo, who was closest to Bumi, looked especially confused.

Mako quietly took the seat next to his brother, while the girls sat near them. Bolin though didn't seem to notice that anyone else had arrived. Whatever the conversation he was having was, it was more important than the food on his plate. It concerned Mako that his brother hadn't started eating yet.

"I understand that they need medical treatment," Bolin told Bumi, the bandages around his eye making him appear even more serious, "But using the hospital is not the way to go about it. I don't see why we can't use some of the military barracks and bring medics there."

Iroh cut in then, quick to defend Bolin from Bumi's unimpressed expression. "The soldiers have already volunteered to make room for the refugees who need medical help. It won't be a serious inconvenience."

Bumi still didn't look convinced with their argument. "While its great the soldiers want to help, they're being ridiculous," Bumi said, "The children need medical help that they can only get at a hospital. Keeping them from the professionals they need is not in their best interest."

Surprise washed over Mako. And judging from Asami whispering children to herself and the various other expressions around the table he wasn't the only one. Why was Bolin talking about injured children anyway?

It was clear that Kya felt the same way as she butted into the conversation. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Bumi. The hospitals will be able to offer children better service all around, they are trained for this."

"That's not going to happen," Bolin told her flatly, "They're terrified of hospitals and with good reason. Put them in one and they'll be too terrified to actually heal."

"My soldiers have managed to get many of the children to trust them. It will be easier for the army to help them heal at this point," Iroh added.

Bolin shook his head sadly, "Not to mention the older ones have made it clear they'd rather die than walk into a hospital ever again."

Bumi's eyebrows rose in a visible sign of shock at that. "That's…a very serious declaration. Were the conditions inside of the hospitals in the camps that bad?"

"They were," was all Bolin would say on the subject. He visibly shut down returning to his breakfast in stony silence. An awkward silence had fallen over the table but slowly they were able to break it again. Mako didn't care to join in the conversation, he was too concerned watch his brother eat. Bolin kept his food close while eating quickly and efficiently. It was heartbreakingly reminiscent to how they'd had to eat on the streets, like at any moment someone would steal your food and you'd be left hungry.

Mako didn't want to bring attention to it and focused on his own breakfast. He was aware that Iroh and Bumi had noted Bolin's behavior, but Iroh seemed more resigned than worried. Almost like he expected Bolin to act this way.

Suddenly Mako regretted not forcing Bolin to tell him what had happened. Maybe if he'd knew he'd be able to help in some way. But instead Bolin was avoiding speaking about the subject.

After breakfast everyone dispersed quickly leaving just a few people behind. Mako and the girls watched with curious eyes as Bolin and Iroh regarded each other across the table. They were more familiar than anyone had been expecting.

Iroh was the first to break their silence. "I managed to find Kazuki. He's currently being treated in the Republic City General Hospital for frostbite."

A relieved smile broke across Bolin's face at the news. "That's wonderful," he breathed out, "I was worried I wouldn't be able to find him now that he was in the city. Do you think they'll let me visit him?"

"I'm sure they couldn't stop you if they tried," Iroh replied drolly earning a small laugh out of the earthbender. "Are you sure you'll be alright visiting him though?"

Bolin waved a hand dismissively, "I'll be fine, but the warning is appreciated. Really Iroh, I can't thank you enough for finding him."

"It was no problem, I just wish I could help more," with that he rose, an action Bolin was quick to copy. "I have to return to my ship to see about moving the children. I trust you'll be coming to the meeting tomorrow?"

"If I didn't Baraz would just hunt me down and drag me there," Bolin managed to bring a small smile to Iroh's face. The two gazed at each other, a hundred different things passing between them at that moment. Mako's eyes narrowed as he noticed the longing on both their faces. What the hell had Bolin gotten himself involved in?

"Seriously Iroh, I don't think I can ever thank you enough for this," Bolin whispered, "We'll never forget what you've done for us."

"I just did what was right." And that was the end of that. The two shook hands and then Iroh was walking out the doors headed back to his ships. Bolin watched him go, jumping when Korra cleared her throat to remind him of the audience.

"Soooo," drawled out the Avatar, "Whose Kazuki?"

"He's a friend of mine, got a really bad case of frostbite," Bolin explained leading them out of the dining room. He was quite aware of Mako hovering at his side but didn't want to point it out, "Actually, I was going to visit him in the hospital if you wanted to join me. I'm sure he'd love to meet all of you."

Asami looked delighted, "That sounds wonderful! I'd love to come!"

"Count me in," Korra announced practically skipping towards the ferry in her excitement to meet one of Bolin's new friends, "How about you Mako? Able to come with us, or do you have to go pick up Wu?"

Mako shrugged, "I managed to convince Lin to watch him for me today. Told her I needed to spend some time with family."

Bolin let out a delighted laugh, his visible eye crinkling with delight. "I can see it right now," he managed to gasp out in answer to the other's questioning looks, "Wu hitting on Lin, and her pounding him into the ground!"

A moment of silence passed as they all just stared at Bolin before they all started laughing as well. Asami and Korra had to lean against each other to keep from falling over, while Mako tugged Bolin close and ruffled his madly protesting little brother's hair. It didn't matter what Bolin was hiding, Mako mused, it was just great to finally have him home.

* * *

_Bolin had been pulled from his sleep early that morning by the guards. With the return of the commandant their jobs in the camp now began. The majority of the prisoners would be working in a factory but not them. They were being sent somewhere else. Baraz , Akita, Ahnah, and Fatma were led away to a different section of the camp all of them resigned for whatever they would face. Bolin followed Hiroshi as they were led by armed guards to the back of the camp itself. The guards set them to work digging deep pits into the earth._

_Something told Bolin he didn't want to know what the pits were for._

_They worked through the entire morning, back breaking painful work. Bolin was exhausted after the first hour but the guards wouldn't let them stop. They had to keep going. Finally though, they were done. "Now we wait until the next group is done," Hiroshi explained, "Then we cover the top of the pits with earth again."_

_Bolin nodded too exhausted too much else by this point. He was hungry, but what was new? For days the familiar pain of hunger had been creeping up on him but it wasn't like they were fed often. Bolin would kill for some dumplings._

_Bolin perked up as a loud noise reached his ears. He could only watch was Fahim appeared with several more men, each of them dragging a cart behind them as they approached the pits. The carts were stacked to the brim with something, but Bolin couldn't make it out from here. But what caught Bolin's attention was the person helping Fahim drag the cart over._

_It was the boy Bolin had saved yesterday._

_"On your feet," one of the guards ordered, "Start helping them."_

_Bolin clambered onto his feet and approached the cart. All of the workers looked nauseous as they began unloading the contents of the carts. The boy looked especially sick as he struggled to each in. Now that he was closer Bolin could see why, and it took all of his willpower not to vomit from the sheer horror he was witnessing._

_The carts were filled with bodies. Men, women, and children, all thrown together into one big pile to be dragged away and forgotten. He hadn't dug a pit, he'd helped dig mass graves. With shaking hands Bolin reached out and grabbed the nearest corpse helping the boy to toss it into the grave. They worked in silence for a long while, neither willing to speak as the blank stares of the dead gazed at them._

_Eventually though, the boy broke the quiet. "You're the one who stopped the guards yesterday," it was a simple statement of face, but his young gold eyes were confused, "Why?"_

_Bolin stared back at him, and anyone who'd ever met him would have been surprised. All traces of humor were gone in that moment, leaving a serious young man. "Because it was the right thing to do," was the only answer Bolin could give the boy._

_"Oh…" that seemed to surprise the boy and they continued piling in the bodies in silence. "My…my name's Kazuki."_

_Bolin sent him a small smile, "Nice to meet you Kazuki, I'm Bolin."_

_They returned to their work, it was still a grim task but made better knowing each others names. There was something about knowing there was another person with you, not just another face, that kept them going through the motions of the job._

_Bolin though made the mistake of looking down. His eyes landed on the face of one of the corpses in the pit and he froze. Wide terrified eyes stared back up at him, the mouth open in a haunted scream that was forever etched into the corpses face._

_It was Tadashi. The little boy Bolin had cared for on the train._

_The rage he'd felt on the train was nothing like the rage now. It was a creeping feeling that swarmed up through Bolin as he continued to stare at the corpse. He could hear a buzzing sound in his ear even as his vision began to turn red. A snarl was torn from his throat and in that instance Bolin turned on the guards._

_It would be whispered about for months to come. How the lavabender killed seven guards before they managed to subdue him by beating him half to death. How the young man was a threat, that they were terrified of him and his bending. To make him stop they killed several prisoners in front of his eyes before he gave in. And only then to save their lives._

_The prisoners remembered. The story would spread throughout the camps. Bolin was the Liberator, the one who would save them all. The whispers followed and grew stronger, especially when Bolin was given over to the doctor._

* * *

**I adore Kazuki! Only Bolin would sort of adopt the little kid who he was beaten saving and look after him. Kazuki's an interesting character because he's ten years old. However he lied to the soldiers and passed himself off as fifteen in order to stay alive and not be killed with the other children. **

**I had to put the Tadashi scene here because it is one of the best moments where we watch Bolin change in the camp itself. He's only been here a little while but it's already changing him. **

**And Iroh. Oh, I'll be getting into this a lot later when the breakup scene between Opal and Bolin happens. Iroh and Bolin are not together right now, but they will be eventually. Like way down the line. The main reason I have them together is because Iroh is literally the only character I can see who can handle Bolin's messed up psyche as he recovers. As a soldier Iroh no doubt has his own PTSD and they're the only two who can defend themselves when the other has a panic attack. Also, I really want to explore the possibilities of a homosexual relationship in Korra's world when the two men are both incredibly politically powerful people. Especially when one of them has come out of a concentration camp. **


	5. I Remember the Face, but Not the Name

**Oh man, I am so sorry this took so long to go up. I found out I read the directions for one of my finals wrong and went into panic mode fixing my essay this weekend. I decided to take a break from it to post this though. I hope you enjoy it. I do even more with Kazuki who is a precious boo. **

* * *

The General Hospital was a calm and tranquil place of healing. In front of the hospital itself stood a great statue of Katara. Her arms were held out, hands forming a cup that water bubbled out of before falling to the base of the statue. The statue itself had a gentle and serene expression that promoted healing and tranquility.

Bolin just stared at the statue a conflicted expression on his face. He didn't want to go in there, bad things happened in hospitals. But Kazuki was in there and Bolin had to check on the kid.

But he really hated hospitals.

He startled a little as a hand came to rest on his shoulder in the blind side. He recognized the heat coming from the hand. Firebenders always burned a little hotter and it was a comfort that Bolin was used to. No matter how cold he was, Mako was always warm.

"Hey bro, you doing okay?" Mako asked softly.

The girls were waiting by the front entrance to give the boys some privacy. Bolin appreciated it a lot.

"Yeah, it's fine Mako, nothing to worry about," Bolin said quickly, "Just...please don't let them try to touch my eyes?"

Mako gave him a reassuring smile, "I'll keep a watch out. Don't worry, just focus on your friend."

Bolin nodded before leading the way into the hospital. It went a lot better than he expected. Honestly Bolin had expected to break down into a mess as soon as he walked into the sterile hallways but it…

It really wasn't so bad.

Sure, the walls were white and the doctors and nurses made Bolin want to run. But he could handle it, he knew he could. Kazuki was in there somewhere and Bolin knew the kid needed him. Probably right this instant.

Bolin approached the front desk, flanked by his friends and didn't that feel great. He had support, nothing could touch him now. Now when Mako was there to protect him.

"Excuse me miss," Bolin asked the receptionist, a pretty looking but harried woman, "I was wondering if you could tell me where my friend's room is?"

The receptionist took one look at Korra before offering up a dazzling smile. "Of course dear," she said voice sugary sweet. Man, Bolin had to admit he liked the hero worship Korra got now. "Please tell me his name?"

"Kazuki."

Her smile became strained, "I'm going to need more than just the first name. His family name would be great."

Bolin lost his smile. "He doesn't have one." None of them did. Kuvira had taken it from them, now they had to create new names for themselves. "Look, he came in with the refugees from the Earth Empire. He's ten, a firebender…"

That made the smile disappear from her face. "Oh," the judgement dripping from her voice was one of the funniest things Bolin had ever heard. "You're here for that one."

Bolin let out a sigh at the expression, well aware of the trouble the kid could cause. "What's he done now?" Bolin asked weakly.

The glare she sent him was ferocious. "He's terrorized the nursing staff, made three doctors cry, and constantly lights things on fire. Not to mention when he bit one of the orderlies…"

That...certainly sounded like Kazuki. The kid was tough to say the least, he had to be to lie to the soldiers to be considered an adult and get away from it. Not to mention Kazuki had been forced to watch as Bolin suffered for far too long in the camps. Even worse, he'd seen what happened to Fahim.

"Look miss, if he doesn't need to stay in the hospital for treatment, I can take him home," Bolin offered.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow at him, "I can only release the boy to his legal guardians…"

"That's great because I am his legal guardian," Bolin cut in quickly. He could hear Asami's gasp of shock and Korra's low whistle. Not to mention the judging silence from Mako that meant he was in all sorts of trouble.

The receptionist sent him a look of relief, "He's in room 231. Once you get him, head back here and fill out the release papers. Then the little monster is all yours."

Luckily they waited until they were in the elevator to start question Bolin about his new acquisition.

"So," Mako demanded the full force of disapproving big brother voice out, "When did you plan on telling us you acquired a child."

Bolin smiled sheepishly, "When the paperwork officially went through in two days?"

Asami was the first to break the shocked silence that had fallen over the group. "Bolin, did you just lie to that receptionist about official forms?" she demanded.

Bolin just shrugged and leaned smugly against the elevator wall, "You say that like its a bad thing."

Korra snorted, "I'm pretty sure it is a bad thing."

"And I'm pretty sure it saves the hospital from the wrath of a temperamental firebender," Bolin said cheerfully leading them down the hallway looking for the room, "So I figure taking him with me will save them a lot of trouble."

Mako looked disappointed again. "So you plan on bringing this dangerous kid with you?" Mako demanded, "Did you even clear this with anyone? Does Tenzin know you're bringing this kid back with you?"

Bolin shrugged, "I figured I could always hide him in my room. Besides, Kazuki's only this bad in hospitals. He's great the rest of the time. Usually."

"What do you mean by usually?" Asami demanded.

Bolin didn't have time to answer her, he'd managed to find the room Kazuki was in. With a happy grin Bolin pushed open the door and practically bounced into the room his friends trailing behind him.

Kazuki was curled up in the bed, a scowl clear on his young face as he sat there arms crossed glaring at the nervous nurse who was attempting to approach. Judging from the burn marks on the nurses scrubs Kazuki was not pleased to be there.

Bolin smiled delightedly at the boy aware of the others crowding around to get a look at the child. Kazuki turned furious eyes towards the open door, mouth hanging open in shock as he noticed Bolin. It was such a comical expression that Bolin couldn't help laughing at him.

"B...Bolin!" Kazuki gasped out a delighted grin breaking across his young face. "You came back for me!"

"Of course I did!" Bolin rushed forward pulling Kazuki in for a hug, "I heard rumors of a little monster terrorizing the hospital and knew it was you."

Kazuki had the decency to blush at that. "I was acting like a terror, wasn't I?" he muttered softly.

Bolin just waved it away, "It's fine, you remember when I first woke up on the ship right? You did better than me. Hey, there are some people I want to introduce you to."

Kazuki immediatly shut down at the sight of three strangers standing in the room. Mako recognized the feral look in Kazuki's eyes along with the way the child clung to Bolin's sleeve. This kid had been hurt and hurt badly. No doubt Kazuki was extremely possessive of Bolin and would lash out if he though it neccessary. Mako only knew it all too well, he'd acted the same about his little brother in the streets to keep Bolin safe.

"Guys, this is Kazuki," Bolin gave a quick introduction, "Kazuki, these are my friends Korra and Asami. And my brother Mako."

"Hi there!" Asami moved forward offering the kid a sweet smile as she settled next to him on the bed, "It's nice to meet you, Bolin's told me all about you."

It was obvious the kid was skeptical about that but he didn't call her out on the lie. Just a warning look from Bolin had him settling down. Mako had to admit, he was impressed at how well his brother could handle a kid.

"It's nice to meet you too, miss," Kazuki mumbled staring at the sheets of the bed, "And you guys also, I've heard stories about you all."

"Hopefully they've all been good," Korra teased Bolin gently.

Kazuki seemed unsure of how to take the attention clinging to Bolin. His eyes got especially wide when Mako walked over to join them blocking off his path to the door. He was trapped here, all these big people were going to keep him locked away. They'd promised he could leave the hospital but these people weren't letting him and Kazuki needed them to move away…

A powerful hand wrapping around his shoulder broke Kazuki from his panic. Bolin was here, Bolin would keep him safe. No one could hurt him now. Kazuki returned to the present conversation slowly safely tucked into Bolin's side. It was nice not to be the center of the adults attention for once.

However Kazuki did notice a certain someone wasn't there with them. Tugging gently as Bolin's sleeve, Kazuki commanded the attention of everyone in the room.

"Where's the General?" Kazuki demanded a pout crossing his little face, "He promised to visit me here when the doctors took me away!"

"He's setting up a meeting for the refugees tomorrow," Bolin assured him gently. The lavabender was aware of the others watching him at the mention of Iroh. Bolin just knew he'd be interrogated about the new friendship he had with the general soon.

"What do you need a meeting for?" Kazuki asked.

Mako frowned, "I don't think a kid needs to worry about that…"

"We're figuring out what to do now," Bolin told Kazuki cutting Mako off. "Housing and food is the biggest concern. Not to mention reuniting everyone with their families."

It wasn't a topic a child should have to be aware of. Bolin didn't have to look to know Mako was disapproving of his actions. The older brother had always been overprotective when it came to child appropriate information. It was the reason why Bolin had been kept firmly in the dark about the Triads for years before Bolin had hit him.

Asami of course always agreed with Mako about raising Bolin and therefore children. It had started when the two dated. One of the first ground rules in the relationship had been the boundaries of their relationship with Bolin. Sure, Asami could look after Bolin but Mako had final say in all aspects of raising the young earthbender.

Korra had only dealt with Tenzin's kids who were not too be trusted with anything important.

Bolin knew Kazuki was different, the child had already been forced to grow up trapped in the camps. He was older than most adults Bolin knew and had grown up having to make tough choices just to survive most days. Bolin had watched some of those decisions play out and watched Kazuki grow up from a child to the serious eyed boy in that bed.

Kazuki deserved to know what was happening.

And sure enough, the determination was shining clear in his young eyes as he glared up at Bolin. "I want to be there," he demanded.

Bolin could only say one thing in the face of that determination. "Of course."

* * *

_Bolin woke up feeling like every bone in his body had been turned to rubber. Everything hurt, from his eyelids to his fingernails. Even worse he was lying in a small wooden cage he could barely squeeze into, cut off from the earth under him._

_"You're awake." Bolin turned as a sweet voice echoed through the room. He turned to see a metal cage sitting across from him, barely large enough for a child to sit in comfortably. Inside was a beautiful young woman was hunched over in the cage. Her long black hair was braided with flowers that hung over her gorgeous blue eyes and over her robes. She was obviously Water Nation although he was unsure about why she was here._

_"I was worried when they brought you in," she told him gently, "You were in pretty bad shape...I didn't think you'd make it."_

_Bolin offered her a weak smile. "Looks like I'm doing pretty well then," Bolin smiled at her, "My name's Bolin. What's yours?"_

_The girl looked stunned by his question. "You...you want to know my name?" She whispered delight coloring her voice, "No one asks me my name anymore..."_

_A stunning smile broke across her face, "My name is Sunki."_

_"Can you tell me where we are?"_

_"The holding bay for Doctor Hojo. He's the one who runs the place, and tomorrow...tomorrow he's going to start the next experiment on us," Sunki whispered. She held up her left wrist and showed the Water Nation mark on her forearm, under it was a number._

_Twenty was tattooed into her arm._

_"He's given you a number also," Sunki whispered and sure enough when Bolin looked down it was there. The number twenty four started back up at him and a feeling of dread began to grow inside of him. "Learn the number," Sunki whispered, "You don't have a name anymore, just that number."_

_The rest of the night passed in an uncomfortable haze but sure enough the morning came. They were pulled from the cages by the guards and forced to strip down completely. The humiliation from having to stand there naked brought a furious flush to his cheeks. The nurses didn't seem to care, they just checked his height and weight before moving on._

_"This way." The two prisoners were forced to follow them into the medical room. The only word Bolin could think of was sterile, the grey walls were polished to a shine as were the metal exam tables on either side of the room. Trays of medical equipment were also set up there._

_The nurse pointed at the tables, "Twenty, take a seat on the left. Twenty four to the right. Doctor Hojo will see you now."_

_Now, Bolin had grown up on the streets. He'd never truly been inside of a hospital because they'd never been able to afford it. Even when probending Bolin had only been treated by the medics, never doctors. Not to mention Kya and Korra._

_This was Bolin's first experience with a doctor. And it would stay with him for the rest of his life._

_Hojo was not what Bolin had been expecting from a doctor. He'd pictured an older man, graying, with glasses to enter. Instead in walked a handsome man around Varrick's age with a smile on his face and a tilt to his uniform cap. His cheer seemed out of place as he flounced into the room followed by a silent Fatma who was trembling._

_"Well, here is our new experiment!" Hojo announced cheerfully practically bouncing over to Bolin, "I have never encountered a lavabender before today, this will certainly be fun! You girl!" He snapped at Fatma making her jump before she scurried over to his side, "Nationality?"_

_"E...earth and fire doctor," Fatma whispered._

_"Ah, yes. That would explain it. Lava is earth and fire. Although, why are you the only mixed breed to have this ability? No matter. I'll figure it out." He snapped and Fatma passed him a needle filled with a strange viscous fluid._

_Hojo sounded perfectly rational as he spoke. His tone was the same as if he was talking about the weather and it was terrifying. Bolin could never imagine anyone just speaking this calmly about experimenting on people like Hojo was doing right then._

_"First experiment of the day, I will be injecting a virus into these two experiments. It has already been seen that bending had an impact on the immune system and these two are perfect for the test. There are no recorded records for lavabending in immune systems so this will be quite fascinating. Not to mention experiment twenty is a very powerful waterbender."_

_The doctor turned to two of the guards standing on either side of the, room. "Restrain them." Bolin wanted to struggle, to get free and run as far away from this as possible but he didn't. He refused to because he watched Sunki, beautiful brave Sunki, simple accept her fate and lay back on the table. If she could be brave, then so could he._

_Hojo didn't seem to care either way as the two were strapped down. He waited until they were immobilized before slowly injecting the first needle into the crook of Bolin's elbow. It was only a slight sting, just there for a brief moment then gone. In that time Sunki was injected with a different syringe and the two were let go._

_The doctor turned to the assistant who had been taking notes the entire time, "Tell the commandant I want these two placed in the same barrack. Actually, combine the women and men's barrack that is closest to here so they can be properly looked after. Girl, you live in that barrack?"_

_"Yes doctor," Fatma whispered._

_"Good, very good," Hojo turned and left the room, "Keep a watch on them and record all symptoms." And with that they were allowed to leave. Fatma led the back towards their barrack her face pale and worn in the night air. They were all silent as they walked through the wired off areas staying close together under the dark watches of the armed guards._

_They traded looks as they approached their barracks. It was still brightly lit even though curfew had been called an hour earlier, and the closer they got the reason became obvious. Bolin and Fatma traded exasperated looks as they heard the sounds of one of Akita's rants echoing through the open window, but both noticed how Sunki looked nervous at that noise._

_"Don't worry," Bolin told her gently, "That's just Akita. She's actually really nice."_

_And all Bolin could do was hope they were on their best behavior so they didn't scare Sunki too badly. Opening open the door they were greeted with what would be a strange sight to most people, but to Bolin was normal. Akita stood centered in the middle of the room yelling at the tops of her lungs, while everyone else ignored her. Baraz and Ahnah were wrapped up in each other, Hiroshi was asleep, and Fahim was speaking quietly to someone new...someone Bolin could have sworn he knew..._

_Kazuki looked up, a delighted expression crossing his young face. "Bolin!" He cheered before rushing across the room to wrap the earthbender in a hug. Bolin smiled happily before holding the child close. Kazuki buried his face in Bolin's shirt. "I thought you were never coming back," Kazuki whispered._

_"It'll take a lot more to get rid of me," Bolin whispered before leading Kazuki further into the barracks. "Guys, this pretty lady is Sunki. She's going to be staying with us."_

_Ahnah sent the new waterbender a gentle smile. "Come here sweetheart, you can bunk near me," Ahnah said brightly as Sunki shyly settled down on the wooden bunk, "Were you transferred here?"_

_"From Camp 14," Sunki affirmed shyly._

_Baraz sent her a wry smile, "Welcome to camp 7."_

_Bolin threw himself into his bunk dragging a giggling Kazuki with him. "Have you been enjoying the crazy firebender rant?"_

_Kazuki giggled happily snuggling in close. "She's funny."_

_"That she is." But she shouldn't be. Akita was simply loudly protesting the unfairness of the guards forcing them into one building with any input. Her complaint should have been serious, something that would be corrected soon. But here it was almost comical that Akita believed the guards actually cared enough for them to fix it._

_It was so tragic Bolin had to laugh to keep from crying._

_The night passed easily once they managed to get Akita relaxed, and the wild firebender settle down next to a nervous Sunki. By some miracle, Akita managed to drag Sunki into a pleasant conversation that included the others. They had a good evening joking and laughing before they all fell asleep. They didn't get many of those._

_Bolin settled down early falling asleep to the comforting whispers of his friends. "We'll need to watch over them," Fatma whispers echoed in Bolin's skull as he fell into darkness. "The doctor made them very sick…"_

_"...what did he do?"_

_"Sickness...tuberculosis...not the problem...plague…"_

* * *

**Yeah...so I went there. I've read several sources on the experiments where they mention doctors injecting their victims with illnesses and studying the results as they die. I want you to remember Sunki, because she is going to have a lot of bad things happen to her. I actually feel a little bad for what I did. Not enough to delete it, but just a little. **


	6. I Touch the Fire and it Freezes Me

**SoRey for the delay guys, but I got back from finals and had to do Christmas shopping for family and friends. Not to metionI had to go watch the Hobbit which made me cry a little. But to make up for that, this post I will be giving you guys two chapters. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Bolin rose early to get to the ship nudging Kazuki up with him. The child grumbled but let Bolin get him up and dressed before they headed out. Part of it was that Bolin wanted to get there early to check up on everyone. The other more selfish reason was Opal was back and he wanted to avoid her for the time being until he sure he wouldn't say something he'd regret.

They reached the port where the ships were docked without any problems before quickly heading to Iroh's ship. The Aurora was just as much a home now as Republic City itself, just walking back into the protective hull of the ship brought a smile to Bolin's face. Kazuki actually relaxed once in the ship. They followed the familiar hallways into the depths of the ship heading towards the command center that Iroh had been kind enough to offer to the refugees.

Opening the door to the room Bolin led Kazuki inside. Both paused for a brief second as the sight of another person, a leftover from living each day in fear, but they relaxed when they recognized the person.

"Iroh!" Kazuki cheered running forward to throw his arms around the general's waist. Iroh for his part just smiled and hugged the small child. "You didn't come see me at the hospital," Kazuki complained.

"My apologies, I was busy preparing for the meeting this morning," Iroh's answer was perfect, Bolin watched as any remaining sadness in Kazuki disappeared with that phrase. The general was so good with Kazuki, Bolin could kiss him.

But he couldn't, not while he was still officially with Opal.

Bolin walked further into the room, "General Iroh sir, pleasure to see you again."

Iroh rose sending Bolin an exasperated look. "Bolin, how many times have I told you to call me Iroh?" he tugged Bolin in for a quick hug before the two stepped back, "I hope this night was better than the last?"

"Having Kazuki near helped more than I could say," Bolin murmured his good eye shining under Iroh's attention. Flushing Bolin pulled up all of his courage and continued, "I wanted you to know, no matter what happens today I plan on breaking up with Opal."

Iroh's eyes flashed briefly with relief, his shoulders slumping as if a great weight was taken from those strong shoulders for that moment before Iroh regained control of himself. "Are you sure you want to?" Iroh asked softly, he wanted Bolin to be sure of the course of actions.

"Yeah, I am," Bolin murmured, "I'm terrified of the thought of telling her about what happened and I can't do it anymore. I can't live my life in fear it nearly destroyed me." No matter how much he still cared for Opal, he could not stay with her as long as he was afraid of Opal.

Iroh reached out, gently cupping Bolin's cheek. "I understand," he whispered before pulling back, "I need to take my leave now. It's been decided that the refugees should decide what to do without any outside help."

"Of course, I'll see you soon Iroh," Bolin murmured. Iroh gave Kazuki one more hug before opening the door to leave the room. He came face to face with a surprised Akita who he greeted before leaving. The female firebender started after Iroh with a confused expression before understanding dawned on her face.

Akita just fixed Bolin with a judging look. "Don't say a word," Bolin warned taking a seat at the command table next to Kazuki.

Akita held up her mangled hands in surrender before settling into her seat. But her smug smirk said more than words ever could.

The others entered the room before the two could argue again. Baraz and Ahnah walked in hand in hand followed by a smiling Hiroshi. Sunki entered next a cloak hiding her missing arm as she sunk into her seat with a weak smile. The two non-benders, Denji and Im Song, walked in taking their seats as well.

The last of the group to enter was Varrick. The usually chattering genius was silent for once, shadows clear on his unshaven face as he slumped into his chair. He was wearing a lab coat stained with blood, and it said something about how used to violence they were that no one really noticed.

They were tired. They were beaten, mangled, and suffered from the memories of torture. They were all too thin from starvation, not to mention suffered from various illnesses. Dressed in borrowed clothing, they did not look like a force to be reckoned with. But there was a light that shone in each of their eyes, survivors eyes, and a heavy weight hung in the air. It had been along time since Bolin had felt this, so it took him a while to recognize it.

It was hope. For the first time in years, they had hope.

Baraz was the first one to speak. "Well, now what?"

It was a good question, one Bolin had been pondering for a while. He didn't notice that everyone else was looking at him too buried in his thoughts. "We need representatives," Bolin said slowly, "People to speak on the behalf of the refugees."

"Why not just one person?" Im Song asked.

"Because we're not one people," Akita explained a thoughtful expression on her face, "We come from all nations, all walks of life. One person can't represent us all."

Hiroshi quickly jumped in. "But a council would," the earthbender explained, "A representative for each nation. Fire, earth, and water."

"Plus non-bender," Denji added.

It was a perfect idea. But Bolin felt like something was wrong with the idea and judging from Sunki's face she felt the same. Then it hit Bolin.

"What about the experiments?" Bolin asked leaning forward, "We've already seen they have different needs, shouldn't they get a voice?"

"Not to mention we don't know how many there are in the other camps," Ahnah pointed out.

"So they get a voice as well," Baraz said decisively and that was that. They had a council in the works.

"There's a serious problem there," Varrick cut in, "The council would have five representatives. It would be too easy for them to fight amongst themselves and the other nations leaders to turn us against each other." Taking a deep breath Varrick steeled himself and continued, "I know no one wants me to say it, but we need to elect a leader who can represent us as needed."

And just as Varrick expected all hell broke loose. Everyone was on their feet yelling at each other, even little Kazuki joined in. Varrick was yelling back defending his point and it looked like he and Baraz would actually start fighting in the middle of the room. Bolin and Akita were the only ones who remained sitting.

Bolin leaned forward signing to Akita. '_What do you think of Varrick's idea?_'

'_It's a good idea,_' she signed back, '_Not to mention we'll need a leader to argue for us. Not to mention someone who can get things done when the other are busy fighting. Restrict their power and it should work._'

That was all Bolin needed to hear. He calmly settled back in his chair waiting for everyone to settle down. It took them a while, but sure enough they all returned to their seats glaring at each other.

Bolin spoke softly to gain their attention. They needed to listen. "I agree with Varrick...and if you start yelling again I will hit you. We need a leader. Someone who we can send to stand for all of the refugees and who will argue for them. We won't survive if we look like a mob so here's what we do."

Bolin leaned back in his seat aware of everyone's eyes on him. "The leader cannot make any decisions without the approval of the council, they need at least four votes for anything. They cannot change council decisions or influence them, they are a tiebreaker when no answer can be reached. And we all know a tie in voting is possible if someone decided not to take a side. Not to mention they'll handle all of the politics of the other world players and make sure any and all paperwork is sent to the right representative."

Akita took over the discussion knowing they would all agree with what Bolin had said. "Why don't we vote now?" She asked, "We'll all shut our eyes, and Kazuki will say everyone's name. Raise your hand once and the kid will count it."

Denji frowned, "How do you know the kid won't screw it up?"

Baraz snorted, "Because even though he's ten, he's a lot smarter than you."

"Ok, time to start the vote!" Bolin announced before they could all kill each other. He waited until he was sure everyone closed their eyes before following suit. Bolin had thought long and hard about who should be in charge.

Varrick was a no, the man was a too well known to help. He didn't know Denji or Im Song enough to trust them with this. Hiroshi didn't want that much power, neither did Baraz or Ahnah. Not to mention Bolin was convinced Sunki would crumble the moment someone got in her face. That left Akita and she was the best. She was the only one of them with a political background and would never bow to anyone, that had been the whole reason she'd been put in the camp.

Bolin raised his hand for that reason when Akita's name was called and then settled back in his chair. He had no doubt she'd be chosen as their leader. Once the last name was called Bolin opened his eyes to meet the worried eyes of the rest of the group.

They were all worried about who would be their leader, who would represent them in the eyes of the world. Kazuki just looked delighted, "So, Akita received one vote."

That...was surprising. Bolin had expected her to have the majority of the votes.

"And recieving eight votes from everyone else is...Bolin."

No. No way. That was not possible. Bolin just stared at them mouth hanging open in shock in the face of their delighted smiles. "Glad that's taken care of," Akita murmured.

"Wait, no, not taken care of," Bolin protested, "I am the lest qualified to do this. I've never recieved a formal education, I can barely read, and I worked for Kuvira. That should immediately disqualify me."

Baraz grinned, "Sounds good to me, means your familiar with Kuvira's next course of action."

"Not to mention you're no longer her soldier," Ahnah said calmly, "You're one of us."

Nothing was more true. They had walked out of the camp as different people. It was apparent now after spending time back home that Bolin didn't belong there anymore, he was expecting things that would never happen. No one understood his fear of Kya, or how Bolin was expecting something bad to happen at any minute.

No one else was expecting death to be around every corner except for him and the other refugees.

That was when Bolin came to his decision. His own feelings were unimportant in the long run. He had to do what was best for them, for his new family who had survived blood and death and emerged stronger. They deserved more from him.

Leaning back in his chair Bolin smiled gently. "I would be honored," he said calmly, "But I still don't know how to work politics."

"That's where I come in," Akita raised her hand, "I'd like to volunteer to my services to Bolin as his assistant. I know the politics game better than anyone else in the world."

A wide grin split across Varrick's face, "Congratulations kid! You have your own Zhu Li!"

Bolin's scandalized "Varrick!" was nearly drowned out by Akita's loud, "Oh spirits no!" It was the start of a beautiful partnership between the two.

"Alright, let's figure out who are representatives are," Bolin announced.

It was quick work from there on in. First it was unanimously decided that Sunki be in charge of the experiments which left Ahnah as the waterbender representative. Baraz was decided for fire seeing how Akita would be working for Bolin specifically. Hiroshi ended up as earth, and then it got interesting.

"No, I am putting my foot down," Varrick said when they asked him to represent the non-bender, "I'm needed elsewhere, specifically with helping the people Hojo infected. They need my full attention if they're going to make it."

"Alright, so who should represent them?" Bolin asked because he trusted Varrick to make the right decision here. The man been selfish before but time in the camp had changed him. It had changed them all.

"Im Song," was the immediate reply, "He's better at the people aspect, that's what we're going to need going into this. Besides Denji has a bigger role."

Denji frowned, "And what would that be?"

"You used to be an administrator, right?" Denji nodded and that was all Varrick needed to continue, "How many of us have no one left? How many people watched all of their families die?"

A heavy silence filled the air as everyone starred down at the table.

"We need lists," Varrick said softly, "Of those who are alive and those who are dead..."

"So we can give those left behind closure," Bolin finished for him, "And reunite families. Denji, would you be fine with this?"

"Of course," Denii said calmly. In that moment it was all set, they were ready to take on the world. Kuvira could come after them and they would face her head on. Together.

"Alright," Bolin leaned forward voice serious, "Let's get down to buisness people. We're refugees, only a third of the people we brought in have family here. So that leaves us with a bunch of homeless people with no jobs and nothing to offer. So tell let's figure this out."

"Where do we go now?"

* * *

_It wasn't common knowledge but bending had an effect on the immune system. It was theorized by healers that it was the way to help and protect them, give them a better chance to live. Just like how firebenders burned hotter than normal, or waterbender as were cooler. It mattered in regards to how they dealt with sickness._

_Sunki would be considered hypothermic if she wasn't a waterbender. Her core temperature had dropped several degrees below safe as she struggled with the disease. She lay there gasping for breath for breath on her bunk unable to breathe. The worst of it was when they were forced to watch her cough up blood._

_"He injected her with tuberculosis," Fatma explained to the others while wiping the sweat from Sunki's forehead._

_There hadn't been any work for them to do due to the snow so they were allowed to look after their two sick companions. _

_Akita frowned at that from her seat under Bolin's bunk. "Are we going to get sick?" She wasn't concerned about getting sick herself, none of them were. Death wasn't scary at this point. _

_No, Akita wanted to know if she had a chance of dying. Because then she would be free. _

_Fatma destroyed that hope though. "The doctor designed it so they weren't contagious," she murmured, "Wouldn't do to have the guards getting sick would it?" _

_They were all quiet at that curled together on the floor. Baraz was holding Ahnah close as they cuddled together. Hiroshi was letting a tired Kazuki sleep in his lap, they'd had to pull the heartbroken kid off of Bolin earlier that day. Fahim was stationed near the door watching over all of them. _

_They all winced when an especially harsh cough left Bolin. He was the worst off of the pair, Sunki had gone into a coma and was slowly fighting off the disease in her. But Bolin was still suffering from his own disease. _

_Baraz was the first to ask, "And what's Bolin been injected with?"_

_Fatma froze for a brief second. Everyone had noticed how she avoided treating Bolin's illness. "He's got plague," Fatma whispered, "The septicemic strain." That would explain the avoidance then. Everyone had strong reactions as soon as plague was mentioned. It was almost conditioned into their cultures to avoid anyone who even had the hint of the disease. _

_Sure enough Bolin was lying in his bunk suffering from the illness. He was running a fever way too high to be safe while his body shook under the stress but no one made a move to help. Even though they knew he wasn't contagious they didn't want to touch him. _

_"You're all a bunch of wimps," Akita declared before swinging herself onto the bunk to care for him. _

_He looked like death warmed over as Akita fussed over him. His lymph nodes were obviously swollen not to mention the gunk seeping from his eyes. The few times she tried to force water down his throat she found the ulcers in his mouth. Honestly Akita wasn't sure how long he'd live with the plague ruining his body._

_"How long do they have?" Hiroshi asked._

_"If they live four days, then they'll be fine." Fatma whispered. _

_Late that night when everyone was asleep Akita was dragged back into wakefulness when Bolin started thrashing in his sleep. She came to with a groan when he accidentally kicked her in the ribs, climbing on top of him to keep him down. The fever heat was rolling off him in waves as she kept him down. Even with the weakness al earthbenders had when sick she was still nearly thrown off._

_"Bolin," Akita hissed, "Calm down! You're going to hurt yourself!"_

_"Need...need to find her," he mumbled delirious as he thrashed under her, "I need to...to find the...find the girl...important..."_

_"What girl?" Akita whispered, "Come on Bo, keep talking to me. Is it your girl back home, is that who you need?"_

_"Rose...rose," he grumbled._

_"Don't fall asleep Bo. Rule number one, if you fall asleep you die." Akita warned. _

_"Ba Sing...Se rose," Bolin whispered to her, "Promised a lady...find her daughter...the rose of...Ba Sing Se..."_

_Akita froze, staring down at him with horrified eyes. Slowly she pulled herself back sliding onto the floor of the barracks. She whimpered softly curling into herself tears beginning to slide down her face. In a matter of minutes she was sobbing brokenly rocking back and forth on the floor._

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the Ba Sing Se rose whispered to Bolin's sickness torn body in the dead of night, "Spirits Bolin, I'm so sorry..."_

* * *

**Yes, the refugees know basic sign language. My head cannon ****is that all of Kuvira's soldiers know basic signs so they can communicate during combat. Bolin used it in then camps to help plan the rebellion. **

**Now, a question for you all. As you just reas Bolin is the refugees leader, so how would you guys like a potential sequel where it's Bolin and the refugees being boss? And a heads up, I had a moment of inspiration and started writing an Avatar Snow Queen crossover so look for that soon. I just needed to write something kind of happy ****for you guys. **


	7. Die, Die, We All Pass Away

**This one is a very important chapter to me because it demonstrates the change happening in the camps. You'll notice that in this chapter they're all sharing stories from their childhoods. The overall thsme lf each story is death, which is important. They are all so surrounded by death that it is now influencing every part of their lives. **

**Bolin's story is the Pardoner's Tale from the Canterbury Tales, and Akita's is taken from the song Remains of the Day which is from the movie Corpse Bride. I love that movie so much, and it's what gave me the title for this chapter. **

* * *

_The snow was blowing outside of the barrack as the friend's crowded together on the floor. Bolin and Sunki had lasted long enough that Fatma declared them pretty likely to live which was always a good thing. He was still running a slight fever, and she was still cold, but they'd stopped coughing up blood which was a plus. _

_Now they were all draped over each other, laughing and joking as the night became longer. _

"_And that's why I can't eat onion-bark soup," Baraz informed them all seriously shuddering a little, "The taste still haunts my dreams."_

_Hiroshi gave a mournful sigh, "I'd give anything for some onion-bark soup."_

"_Shut up Hiroshi," Baraz growled out as everyone else started to giggle at his glare._

_Hiroshi just leaned back smugly against the wall. "That's the first thing I'm going to do when I leave," he said with a smirk at the fuming firebender, "Make a giant tub of onion-bark soup and invite all of yall to eat it. What do you say Baraz?"_

"_I'm going to smother you in your sleep." Ahnah hit him gently muffling her hysterical laughter into his shoulder. _

"_Alright, that's enough," Fahim demanded waving his hands in the air to calm everyone down. He sent them all a quicksilver grin while settling down. _

_Kazuki turned to Fadhim with wide eyes. "Can you tell us a story? A sendbender one?' he asked shyly._

_Fahim hummed thoughtfully, "I don't see why not. Please remember that our stories and ways of life are secret so don't go sharing this. Now, in our lands there was born a girl named Savitri and she was more beautiful than the sun. She fell in love with a true and just man known as Satyavan, when she mentioned to her father that she wanted to marry her he warned her that Satyavan had only a year to live but he didn't care and they were married._

"_At the end of the year, Savitri could only watch in horror as her husband collapsed to the floor dead. The before them appeared a man dressed in princely robes who introduced himself as Yama the god of death. He took with him Satyavan's soul and began the walk back to his realm. However Savitri followed him. After many hours Yama turned back to her. "Savitri! You can not enter the land of the dead," he told her but she cared not. For while she would not stop death, her place was by her husbands side and she would follow after him. He offered her a wish, and she used it to bless her father-in-law. They continued, her following and again her offered her a wish to turn her away which Savitri wished for her own father. A third and final time Yama gave her a wish to turn her away and she cried, "I wish for many children born of my husband Satyavan!" And Yama was forced to agree so he released her husband's soul and they lived many happy years together. When Yama came for them at the end of their lives, they followed him happily hand in hand."_

_A long silence filled the barracks as they all stared at the ground while thinking on the story. Bolin held Kazuki close wishing that there was someone out there he could make a deal with to spare this child the hell there were in._

_Akita was the first to lean forward. "I have a story," she said bringing flames to her hands that cast shadows over their faces, "Now, everyone listen close because I'm going to tell you the story of the corpse bride. Well, this girl was a beauty known miles around, and one day a mysterious stranger appeared in their town. He was a handsome man, but had no money to his name. It didn't matter though cause the girl fell in love the moment she saw him. Her father though said she couldn't be with it, so the lovers decided to elope._

"_So they made a plan to meet late that night and they didn't tell a soul. Her mother's wedding dress fit perfectly when she ran away. Now, you don't need much when you're in love, just a sack full of gold and the family jewels you see. Then next to the graveyard by the old oak tree in the dead of night she was ready to go. But where was he?"_

_Akita paused for dramatic effect leaning back in her seat. "What happened then?" Ahnah whispered. _

"_Then she waited," Akita growled out. _

_Kazuki gulped. "What happened after that?" he asked._

"_Then kid, everything went black," Akita snuffed out the flames getting a few screams of fright before lighting her hands again with a cackle, "The next thing she knew when she opened her eyes, she was dead as dust. He'd taken her jewels and broken her heart. So she made a vow under that tree to wait for true love to set her free. She's waiting for someone to come ask for her hand so they can set her free. And that's the story of the corpse bride." _

_Akita grinned happily as she settled back against the wall while everyone just stared at her with different looks of horror on their faces at that story. "That's messed up," Sunki whispered after a while getting a couple of nervous laughs from them all. _

"_Oh come on, there have to be worse stories than that," Baraz protested. _

_Bolin raised his hand, "My brother told me one when we were little. Let's see...it's been a while...oh yeah! Three men are drinking and gambling when a ringer enters the bar. He announces that their friend was murdered by Death, whose murdered thousands of others. So these three men, drunk, decide they're going to kill Death. They start their travels and run into an old man who they decide is an agent of the great killer. They rough him up and he admits he has been begging Death to take him, but each time Death refuses. Now, if the men wanted to meet Death they needed to travel to the tree at the fork of the road._

"_The men did so and to their surprise they stumbled across piles of gold under the tree. They decide to split the gold three ways and forget about their goal of killing Death. They draw lots to see who will get food and wine for their travels while the other two guard the gold. The youngest goes and on the way became greedy, he bought poison and dumped it in the wine. When he returned he was stabbed to death by his two friends, you see they had gotten greedy also and turned on him. The survivors drank from the wine and soon enough they were dead as well. And so the men who swore to kill Death all died slow, painful deaths."_

_Hiroshi just stared at him. "Why did your brother want to tell you that?" he asked the question on everyone's minds. _

_Bolin shrugged, "He saw me drinking under age and wanted to scare me so I'd stop." _

_Baraz frowned, "Still seems a bit extreme."_

"_He's an extreme guy," Bolin informed them dryly bringing laughter back to the group as they continued pushing and shoving each other as they joked and laughed in the cold winter night. "Hey Fahim," Hiroshi called out, "Why don't you show us how to sandbend?"_

"_Bet you Bolin can't do it," Akita teased nudging him. Bolin just stuck his tongue out, "Bet you I can!"_

"_Alright, alright," Fahim said laughing pulling out a hidden bag of sand, which was forbidden, from under his bunk, "I'll do it! So who wants to learn how to sandbend?"_

* * *

"Why are you coming with us back to the island?" Bolin asked helping Kazuki off of the ferry while Akita strutted smugly onto the land tossing Bolin a wicked grin.

"I figured we could go over out plan of attack for presenting you to the world leaders tonight," she informed him as they walked together towards the temple. Bolin and Kazuki sent her an unimpressed look. Akita sighed heavily, "Fine, I want to watch you break up with your girlfriend. It'll be funny."

Kazuki giggled a bit at that, "It will be, won't it?"

"Thanks for the support guys," Bolin drawled out shoving them both weakly as a joke. They continued towards the path laughing and joking in the sun. They looked like a happy family and Bolin knew they were family, just not how anyone expected them to be. They were a family created through hardships and tears. A family built by the hopeless and forgotten of the world.

Kazuki came to a stop, pointing towards a young woman standing impatiently in front of the Air Temple. "Is that your girlfriend?" Kazuki asked pointing to her.

"Akita, take him inside and introduce yourself to my brother," Bolin ordered coming to a halt, "I need to talk to my girlfriend."

Akita quickly ushered Kazuki past Opal as the airbender stalked towards him, a dark expression on her pretty face. It was clear Kazuki seemed nervous about leaving Bolin alone with her but whatever Akita whispered kept him moving. Which left Bolin with his angry looking girlfriend.

Watching her approach, he felt a little petty. He could have met her halfway there but honestly Bolin was done reaching out. Opal could come to him for once. So he stood there waiting for her, face blank as he watched the anger growing on her face.

"Opal, it's been a while," Bolin said calmly crossing his arms.

Opal just glared back, "Bolin, how was it working for Kuvira?"

"Oh, you know. I got arrested by her," Bolin admitted shrugging, "Lost my eye, that was fun too."

"This isn't a joke Bolin," Opal hissed.

"I'm not joking," Bolin informed her coldly, "You asked what it was like, and I told you."

Opal raised an eyebrow, "So what? You find out she's bad news and sneak in with the refugees?"

"I listened to what you told me. Went to Ba Sing Se and started looking around," the pair walked together among the gardens as Bolin explained himself, "I found out about people disappearing, and ran into a mother who asked me to find her daughter. Do you know how desperate someone has to be to ask a stranger to find their child? Because I do now."

He paused looking out over the ocean once they'd come to it. "I made the mistake of asking after her to the wrong people. I ended up on a prison train that took me to one of her reduction camps and that's where I spent the last year," he turned to Opal a weak smile crossing his face, "So tell me again how I snuck in with them, because as far as they're concerned I'm one of them."

Opal looked away from his staring out over the ocean. She wasn't sure what to do with this serious Bolin. She wanted her cheery and funny Bo back, not this quiet man who looked so lost and thin. "I didn't know," Opal whispered, "About you in the camps."

"You never looked," Bolin said and it was cold but he needed her to hear it, "No, don't deny it Opal. As soon as I was caught I knew no one would come looking for me, Kuvira could feed you false locations without any questions being raised unless you really looked. It's not your fault you didn't look."

He took in a shuddering breath, "But I don't think I can forget that no one looked for me."

Opal couldn't look at him, she had to stare at the ocean moving in front of her. "So what does this mean for us?"

"I don't think there can be an us anymore," Bolin told her gently. He couldn't see how she was reacting, she was in his blind spot caused by the bandages.

"You're so different now," was all Opal could say, "You're so cold and serious...I don't know who you are anymore."

Bolin turned and smiled at her. She could see the shadow of her Bolin in that smile even now. "Opal, I still love you," he told her and didn't that hurt. Even after everything he still cared greatly for this beautiful young woman, "But honestly we're just at different points in our lives right now. I mean, you're worried about your family. I have to take care of my kid..."

Opal choked a little. "You have a kid?"

"See? That's what I mean!" Bolin sighed running his hands through his hair.

"I understand," Opal murmured a sad smile crossing her face. She darted forward pressing a kiss to Bolin's cheek, "And for the record...I still love you too."

He pulled her in for a hug, the pair clinging to each other before pulling back with watery smiled. Opal reached up to gently touch his bandage. "Will you ever tell me what happened to your eye?" She asked softly as they started to walk back to the temple.

"Of course, you're still one of my best friends," Bolin said slinging an arm around her waist as they walked together, "Come on, there are some people I want you to meet."

Opal blinked as a young Fire Nation boy came sprinting towards Bolin, a slighted grin on his face when Bolin swept him up into a hug. Following more sedately was the Fire Nation girl, her wavy black hair cropped around her ears as she sauntered towards them. A sly smirk crossed her face as she approached.

"Wow Bolin, I must say you have a way with the ladies," the girl, woman really, held out her hands. Opal reached out to shake them but pulled back her eyes wide when she noticed the fingers missing on her hands.

The woman's smile turned cold, "I see you've noticed my disability then."

"Right," Bolin cut in, "Guys, this is Opal. Opal, this is Akita a very good friend."

"Charmed to make your acquaintance," Akita practically purred.

"And this little guy is Kazuki, I'm looking after him now," Bolin said proudly resting his hands on Kazuki's shoulders.

And Kazuki, the little shit, just grinned devilishly. "Bolin's my new mom," he announced proudly to the stunned adults, "And General Iroh's going to be my new dad!"

Akita snorted before dissolving into hysterical laughter at the stunned look on Bolin's face. Opal couldn't help but smile along as Bolin began spluttering denials before pulling a madly cackling Kazuki back towards the temple.

Opal could only turn to Akita, confused by the strange conversations he'd just witnessed. But Akita wasn't any more helpful, just offering Opal a strange half smile before following after Bolin and Kazuki quite happily. This left Opal alone in the courtyard, struggling to deal with the new questions Bolin's broken appearnce had raised for her.

* * *

**So, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Akita is going to be hugly important to Bolin in a couple more chapters. Let's just say theEarth Empire has the same view towards homosexuals as the Nazi's, but that will be later. **


	8. Remember, Forever

**Sorry for the long delay before updating. I hit four museums in two days in L.A. and it was amazing. I spent so much time in the Holocaust Museum and it was heartbreaking but amazing. So that will be playing a part. Also, take a look for "Ghost of You" later today. It's a series of oneshots set in this universe but ****most come after the crazy.**

**I cannot believe the support you have all given me. Even when I want to curl up on the floor and cry, the fact that you guys care so much about this topic makes me so happy. I've had several people tell me this inspired them to start their own research into this time period and it makes me happy. **

**I belive if enough people keep the memory of these victims alive, then we show that we do care about these atrocities and the people lost. A bit naive, but it keeps me going. So keep researching, becuase it restores my faith in humanity as a whole! Because it shows we do care, and we will continue to care!**

**A lot will be on the resettling of the Avatar version of Isreal. And yes, Bolin will form what is basically Mossad in due time. Plus, I am now introducing the meet a former prisoner where you get to know everyone I've introduced. **

* * *

**Meet a former prisoner:**

Akita: Originally from the Fire Nation, her mother was a noble who got pregnant at 16 and gave the baby up for adoption. Akita was adopted by a noble Earth Kingdom family which caused huge controversy. She's the only firebender in her family and has lived in Ba Sing Se for years. Akita grew up and faced prejudice from the other nobles which is how she entered political activism in the radio buisness where she opposed all oppression and earned the name the Ba Sing Se Rose. Originally a supporter of Kuvira, Akita was arrested for speaking out against the regime. She lost her father in the camps, and is Bolin's right hand man.

**Remember, forever**

_"Looks like the infection was cleared from both experiments," Hojo rattled off as his assistant took notes, "Minor scarring to both their lungs, expected with the diseases they were exposed to. Loss of muscle mass in experiment twenty four, typical for earthbender. They came off surprisingly well."_

_Bolin turned his head to stare at Sunki. She sent him a weak smile before they both turned their attention back to the doctor. He didn't even pay them any attention. "Unstrap them and send them to their barracks," he ordered, "And make a note to see if the commandant will move them with the other experiments." _

_That did not sound good. But still, Bolin was just happy to be let loose from this place. He reached out and took Sunki's hand and they left the laboratory together clinging to each other. He wasn't expecting much to be happening when they headed outside but once again they were wrong. _

_All of the prisoners were clinging to the fences looking out with desperate eyes. Bolin and Sunki both took off running to join their friend's. "What's going on?" He demanded wrapping a protective arm around Kazuki as he joined the others._

_"New shipment," Barraz explained. He nodded to everyone, "We look to see if anyone we know is there. Families...friends...anyone."_

_Bolin nodded before joining in. The stream of tired and dirty people walked past and he was reminded uncomfortably of the first day. The steady stream of starved women, children, and men walked by them eyes on the ground. Even worse, they were heading to Hojo's labs. No one knew exactly what happened there, all they knew was people walked in and never walked out. And it was different than the experiments._

_"No." _

_They all turned, eyes landing on Akita. Her gold eyes were wide as she stared blankly ahead, her eyes locked on one of the men walking past them. "No, no, no, nonononono," she whispered. She started shaking the fence, her eyes locked on the man, unaware she was turning the iron red hot as she bended it, "No! He can't be here! He's supposed to be safe!"_

_Bolin had to let go of the fence as it became uncomfortably hot, everyone else stepping back as well. Akita didn't care, her eyes were locked on the man being led into a metal room. With a scream of rage, she managed to melt through the metal and took off running down the pathway. _

_Guards were yelling as they went sprinting towards her but in an impressive display of firebending she sent them sprawling. "No!" She screamed again, absolute despair coloring her voice as she sent a blast of fire towards the closed door, "You can't hurt him! That's my dad! My dad!"_

_"Shit," Baraz whispered watching as the guards finally got a hold of her. _

_"She's not going to stop," Bolin said numbly as the guards cuffed her and dragged her back to the center of the camp. "They'll have to kill her before she stops now."_

_"That's my father!" Akita screamed tears pouring down her face, "No! No! Daddy! DADDY!" She let out a incoherent scream of grief, crumpling into herself at the feet of the guards sobbing brokenly into the snow and the dirt. _

_Bolin started forward. He had to help her, he had to do something before they HURT his friend. "Let me go," Bolin hissed as Hiroshi wrapped his arms around Bolin's waist and lifted,"I need to help her!"_

_"What are you going to do?" Hiroshi demanded, "You'll just be killed along with her! Just watch what happens to her, we'll remember it no matter what so her suffering won't be forgotten." _

_As much as it hurt, they were right. There was nothing he could do for her. So with a snarl Bolin settled down watching hatefully as the commandant approached Akita._

_Bolin had to be restrained along with Baraz as the sick son of a bitch pressed his foot down against Akita's head, grinding her face into the slush. He looked out over the crowd before talking, and even though he did not yell they all still heard him. "The actions of this prisoner are the same violent deeds we'd expect of Fire Nation scum. This is the filth we try and cleanse the world of. And so in it's own people's way, I will show the disgrace she carries for acting in such a way." _

_The prisoners could only watch in horror as the commandant very calmly cut off Akita's hair before their very eyes. Now, this may not seem like much at first but it was a huge deal. Such an action was only done in times of great dishonor and for him to do so to Akita was one of the greatest insults possible, especially when honor was one of the last things they had. _

_"Not only that, but this filth dared to bend without permission," he announced, "In case you do not know the punishment for that, allow me to demonstrate it to you." Bolin tried to surge forward to help her when the commandant pulled out a metal whip. He couldn't get there, they wouldn't let him save Akita, why couldn't Bolin save her?_

_He could only watch in horror as Alita screamed while the commandant sawed off her ring finger on her left hand. He then knelt and picked up the digit, showing it to the horrified prisoners. "This is what happens when you bend without permission," the commandant explained, "A finger for each transgression. And when you're out of fingers, well...then there is no use for you." _

_It was only once he'd turned away that they were able to move. They rushed to Akita's side, helping the girl sit up and she sobbed brokenly cradling her disfigured hand to her chest. "Quickly, let's get her inside," Ahnah whispered helping Akita off the ground. "He...he didn't even see me," Akita whimpered as they dragged her away, "I couldn't say goodbye..." _

_Bolin watched them leave, frozen in place. Now that it was over he couldn't move, his eyes locked on the blood and hair on the snow. It was only when the images began to blur did Bolin become aware of the fact that he was crying. _

_I wonder, he mused reaching up and brushing a tear off, how many tears do I have left, before none come at all?_

* * *

Dinner was going to be an interesting affair of that Bolin had no doubt. Everyone probably knew he and Opal had broken up by now and Bolin just knew Mako and Korra were going to try to give him a feelings talk. He didn't need to talk about his feelings, he just needed a quiet calm night without any problems.

Luckily though Akita was by his side. She was the bravest person Bolin knew and having her around was a comfort. "They're kind of overwhelming at first," Bolin warned as the two adults followed sedately after an excited Kazuki. "But they're good people and should be nice to you but if they aren't I can..."

"Hey, Bo, chill out," Akita demanded nudging him a bit, "They're your family so they should be pretty cool."

Yeah, this wasn't going to end well. Bolin could just picture the disaster as they walked into the room and came face to face with everyone. He could feel their eyes on the pair of them as Kazuki ran happily into the room to sit next to Meelo and that was concerning. Bolin would have to talk to the kid about finding better friends.

Still, it was clear by the disapproving looks they were convinced he'd left Opal for Akita and that was ridiculous. But he didn't know how to clear that up without making it worse or having Lin kill him...

Luckily Opal was a god among men. "Akita!" She called happily, "Come sit over here by me! Did you find Sunki today?"

"No, she's a bit busy helping the kids right now," Akita sunk smoothly into the seat next to Opal, and how did she do that? "Bolin and I will be swinging by tomorrow to check in on her."

Bolin sat down next to his brother just as Prince Wu leaned forward, a leer on his face. "And who is this beautiful lady?" He asked.

Bolin snorted into his drink as Akita raised a perfect eyebrow in shock. Kazuki had stopped plotting with Meelo and was watching with unholy glee because this was going to be amazing.

"I'm a lesbian,," Akita told him calmly. She continued though when it became apparent no one was entirely sure what she was saying, "I have sex with other women."

It was taking all of Bolin's power not to just break down laughing at the looks on everyone's faces as Akita and Opal resumed their no one had been expecting her to be that blunt with them.

"You certainly have made some interesting friends," Asami informed Bolin dryly.

Korra just looked delighted by the new girl, "I think she's awesome! How long is she staying here?"

"Just tonight hopefully. She's going to be stopping by to help Kazuki with his firebending though," Bolin mentioned absently.

"You picked up a firebender?" Mako asked disbelief clear in his voice.

"More like Kazuki chose me," Bolin admitted before deciding he could tease Mako a bit, "But hey, you could teach him some bending if you'd like. I was planning on introducing him to the family soon."

"Sounds great. Grandma would love to meet her first great-grandchild," Mako said dryly getting a quick laugh out of his friend's.

Meelo's voice cut across the table getting everyone's attention. "What happened to your hands?" A simple enough question for Akita but still one they had been hoping to avoid. Now everyone's attention was firmly on the scarred, damaged hands.

Because her hands were a mess of scar tissue and black burns from her work. Not to mention the missing fingers on each hand. Her right was only missing two, but the left had three gone and now everyone was staring at them. Akita didn't seem to care but Bolin knew her better, that mask of bland interest was hiding her inner panic as she tried to come up with an appropriate answer.

"She used to work on the railroad," Bolin cut in quickly qigong her an appropriate cover. Akita sent him a reassuring smile before turning back to a morbidly fascinated Meelo to make the story more convincing. "I was the person who would hook the cars together," she lied flawlessly, "And if you're not careful there's a good chance one of the couplings for the cars will take off a finger or two. I'm just really clumsy."

"That's awesome!" Meelo cheered, "I want to lose a finger too!"

"No you don't. It hurts," Akita deadpanned getting some laughs from around the table. Well except for Tenzin who just looked pained by his son's question.

"I was wondering Miss Akita," Jinora added to the conversation, "Do you know what happened to Bolin's eye?"

Bolin froze his visible eye widening in horror at the question. Kazuki flinched ducking his head down and looking much smaller and younger in that instance. Akita, always poised and perfect Akita, dropped her chopsticks as she just stared at Jinora. Their reaction was immediate and powerful dropping the room into tense silence. The joyful mood was gone.

Jinora cautiously asked, "Is...is something wrong?"

"No, everything's alright. You just caught me off guard," Akita said slowly, her voice now flat and wooden, "Bolin traded his eye to the angel of death in the hopes of saving someone's life."

Wu, who probably thought reading the atmosphere was a book, looked delighted, "Did he beat it?"

"No," Bolin said hollowly. "I didn't. Excuse me, I need to go lay down."

He stumbled out of the room before taking off at a run towards the docks. He had to get away, he had to head somewhere where nothing could hurt him. Bolin needed to see Iroh. Immeidatly.

* * *

**Remember to check out my new story, because the first chapter is Bolin and Iroh actually managing to get married and I tried to make it amusing. If you have any requests, like family moments for Bolin's family, I will do so. This also deals with the OC's, so let me know who you want to see. **


	9. Why Can't I Feel?

**So. I am offically alive which I feel needs to be stated. I have survived being hit by a car with minimal damage which amazes me, I didn't break any bones! The doctors says I may need surgery on my left knee, but even that is ACL surgery which I could have needed when plea ticking martial arts. I have never loved my God as much as I have this last week. **

**Anyways I want to give a huge thank you to Bolinlover123 for helping me sane sane these last couple of weeks. I can't stress how much I read, and benign hable to from a concussion nearly drove me insane. But I'm back and any potential surgery isn't for a long while. So I really hope you enjoy this chapter. **

* * *

**Meet a former prisoner-**Fahim is a 45 year old sandbender. He and his tribe were taken from their home in the Si Wong desert by Kuvira early on in her rule. Kuvira has been trying to purge the sandbenders from the region and erase their culture. He had to watch as Kuvira's soldiers killed his wife and children in front of his eyes because they were deemed unworthy. While typically secretive of their culture, with his entire tribe dead Fahim is teaching his friends sandbender ways so his people can live on even if he does not. Fahim is the last living member of his tribe.

**Why Can't I Feel? My Skin Should Crack and Peel**

It was silent on the Aurora when Bolin walked aboard. The soldier who was on watch had smiled at him and waved him aboard which wasn't a surprise. They were used to the refugees on their ship now helping out where they could as thanks and now with them gone it was quiet. Bolin had already heard rumors that the sailors hung around with the refugees in the temporary quarters.

It was nice to know that they were wanted.

Bolin froze outside of the door to Iroh's quarters, eyes locked on the metal doorway with his hand raised to knock. He'd spent days in here, speaking with Iroh about what he'd do when they reached Republic City. Iroh had comforted him when the nightmares came, had dried Bolin's tears when he'd cried.

Those hazy memories were what gave Bolin the courage he needed to knock on the door.

Bolin didn't have to wait long before the door swung open the light from the room spilling into the hallway. Iroh stood there, still dressed in his uniform. It was maddening that the sight raised a well of fondness in Bolin for this man who worked so hard for these people.

A gentle smile crossed Bolin's face. "Can I come in?" he asked softly.

Iroh smiled back, "Of course." An awkward silence covered them both as Bolin took a seat in one of the chairs by Iroh's desk, waiting as the general closed the door and took his own seat across from Bolin. "How have you been doing?" Iroh asked quietly.

Bolin shrugged, "Alright I guess. I mean, I just ran out during dinner because I couldn't stay there anymore."

"Can I ask about what happened?"

"Meelo wanted to know what happened to my eye," Bolin whispered staring down at his hands. They were so scared now after his time in the camps. Little burns and marks cut across them, each mark its own story. It was strange to watch glove covered hands gently taking these broken damaged hands in his. Why would anyone want to touch someone as broken as him?

Iroh's voice was just as warm as his hands. "You didn't do anything wrong Bo," Iroh murmured, "You're dealing with the horrors you faced better than anyone expected. I doubt I'd have come out of there as strong as you are."

Bolin flushed under his attention a shy smile lighting across his face. And the fact that Iroh just smiled back at him helped more than he could say. Iroh was the only one so far who hadn't looked at him and wanted to see the old Bolin from before his time in the camps. Iroh saw him as he was now.

"They elected me as the leader of the refugees," Bolin admitted softly leaning in close, "I'm not sure if I can do it."

"And that's why you'll do well," Iroh reassured him, "The people who don't want to lead tend to be the best leaders. And I'm sure you'll have help?"

"Akita."

"You'll be fine then. She's a terror." They shared hushed laughter, grinning brightly at each other in the dim light. "And if you ever need me, I'll be here to help Bolin."

Again that fondness threatened to overwhelm him. "Thank you Iroh, that helps more than you know." There was more he had to tell Iroh, the entire reason he'd wanted to come here in the first place. It was a scary thought to take this leap but if he didn't...Bolin would always regret it. "I broke up with Opal today," he whispered.

Iroh was silent before him, not forcing Bolin to explain but he needed to. Needed to explain why it was so important. "I told her it's because we were too different now, but that was only part of it," Bolin whispered. The air felt charged like the feeling before a thunderstorm when electricity was in the air, "But the main part is that I fell in love with someone else."

Bolin looked up as a gloved hand came to rest on his cheek while Iroh drew his attention. The older man was smiling adoringly at him filling Bolin with warmth. "You have no idea how happy that makes me," Iroh murmured before pressing a chaste kiss to Bolin's lips.

A silly smile broke across Bolin's face as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Iroh's. He felt so safe here, protected and warm. It was a novel experience for him now, one he would always cherish.

He flinched when Iroh reached up to remove the bandages covering Bolin's eye. He didn't want to have to show him how damaged he was, not when he'd just gotten him. "It's alright," Iroh murmured unwinding the bandages with care, offering Bolin a gentle smile, "I've seen it before, remember? It doesn't scare me."

"It's wrong," Bolin whimpered.

That caused Iroh to pause, a determined expression crossing his face before he continued his actions. "It is wrong that someone did this to you," Iroh explained firmly removing the last bandage, "But you're not wrong."

Gently Iroh reached out to brush the skin under his damaged eye. Bolin knew how horrified his eye looked like as he stared up at Iroh. There was a deep pock mark on to the right of the iris from where a needle had slipped and stabbed into the eye itself. The mark was an angry red tinged with blood that hadn't faded in time. But the worst part in Bolin's opinion was the more visible problem to his eye. Golden ink stained the organ spreading out from the needle point to stretch across the white a pupil of his eye. Bolin couldn't see out of that eye anymore and he was thankful that he'd managed to keep the other one, even if the eyesight in it had been severely reduced.

It didn't seem to bother Iroh though. Gently Iroh traced the skin under Bolin's eye before pulling back a little. "It looks much better than it did before," Iroh murmured softly, "I doubt you will have to lose the eye to infection like the healer warned."

"I almost wish I had," Bolin said dryly leaning into the comforting heat. They remained that way for a while, simply enjoying the other's company for hours on end. They spoke of light things keeping the difficulties of the path safely behind them. It was peaceful, something they lacked in their usual lives.

"I have to get going," Bolin mumbled when it was late at night reluctantly pulling away from Iroh, "They'll be wondering if something bad happened if I don't return."

Iroh caught his wrist before Bolin could leave, tugging the confused earthbender to a stop. "You're missing something," he pointed out dryly gesturing to Bolin's eye.

Bolin flushed, he hadn't even noticed he was missing the bandages. How embarrassing would it have been to walk through the city and let everyone see it? Spirits, if Mako saw he'd never hear the end of it.

A warm hand catching his brought Bolin out of his musing, returning his attention to a patiently smiling Iroh. "I found you something," was the only warning given before Iroh was reaching for his face. Normally that would not have ended well. Bolin was aware of his extreme reactions when people tried to touch the area near his eye and avoided it altogether. But when Iroh did it, it wasn't threatening.

Gently, ever so gently, Iroh slid something over the eye and around Bolin's head taking care not to harm him. Bolin reached up to touch it, a delighted laugh leaving him. "You got me an eyepatch!" he breathed out, beaming up at Iroh.

Iroh gave him another quick kiss. "Consider it your first courting present," he murmured softly. It was a statement and a question. Bolin could see it in Iroh's eyes, he wasn't sure how his gift would be received. Just one wrong word would ruin the growing of their new relationship simple as that.

Bolin could only smile. "Thank you, it's wonderful." It was an acceptance at it's simplest form and the new couple shared one last kiss before Bolin turned to leave waving goodbye before disappearing back into the ship.

It was only when he was halfway back to Air Temple Island that Bolin realized he'd have to ask Baraz how you went about courting someone. Oh boy.

_"They're moving us today," Bolin murmured to Sunki as they sat waiting to be let go by the guards. She gave him a questioning look so Bolin quickly explained. "I overheard the soldiers talking. Apparently there's a new shipment of prisoners and two will be taking our place in the barracks. So we're getting moved in with the other experiments."_

_Sunki nodded slowly a concerned expression crossing her face. "It makes sense, we're easier to contain there," she whispered softly as the guards escorted them from the room turning them loose into the camp, "Should we head straight there?"_

_"No, let's say goodbye to the others first," Bolin muttered her leading the way back to their barracks. They waited until the doors were closed before taking off at a dead run desperate to get there before the new prisoners came in. It didn't help that the snow made it difficult to get anywhere and left them all freezing. _

_They quickly shuffled into the room to the tired cheers of the others. "You're back," Kazuki said delightedly hugging them both._

_"We're not sure for how long," Sunki told him softly, "They're moving us next door." _

_That got everyone up and moving. "Can they do that?" Hiroshi demanded, "They house the kids there."_

_"Like that ever stops them," Ahnah said bitterly before managing a weak smile, "So I guess we'd better enjoy the time we have left together." _

_They all settled down on the floor one last time, relaxing even as the shadow of doom hung over their head. It was easy, relaxed, a camaraderie born from the months spent together. _

_Fahim let out a pained sigh, "Akita, did you firebend at the guards again?"_

_The girl in question grinned happily holding up her bloody, bandaged hand. "Burned the hair off of Lieutenant Wong," she announced delightedly, "Son of a bitch had it coming."_

_Baraz stared at her like she was insane. "That's what...three fingers already?" Akita's smug grin was the only answer they needed. _

_"How do you expect to keep working?" Sunki asked curiously, "I mean, you have to firebend in the ovens. How does that work when you're missing so many fingers?"_

_Fahim chuckled at that, "Seeing how she's still here, I'd say she manages." _

_"Hey Baraz, what do you two even do in the ovens all day anyway?" Hiroshi asked the question that had been on everyone's mind._

_Baraz and Akita traded troubled looks before he answered. "You notice how the grounds is too frozen to bend?" He asked quietly waiting for confirmation before continuing, "Well, they still have bodies they need to get rid of. And that's where the ovens come in."_

_"But we can't burn them all," Akita admitted softly, "So you're going to have to bury quite a few frozen corpses pretty soon before they thaw and start to smell." _

_Bolin sighed leaning against the bunk while Kazuki curled up by his side. "King Death strikes again," Bolin said dryly, "One day soon, the great equalizer will bring us all down."_

_They looked up as the guards opened the door to the barrack. Sunki and Bolin got to their feet quickly and left their friends behind. There was no point in saying goodbye, they were all aware they'd die in this camp sooner or later. It just looked like for Bolin and Sunki it was going to be sooner. _

_The pair entered their new barracks quietly, flinching as the sound of the door locking hit them. Bolin turned away from the door taking in the other occupants of their room. Wide eyed children from the ages of three to fifteen stared at them, faces gaunt and pale. They looked like hell, several of them had bandages and all looked terrified. _

_"This doesn't look good," Sunki whispered watching wide eyed as Bolin walked further into the rooms. _

_He smiled gently at the children before sitting on the floor in front of them. "Hi there, I'm Bolin and this is my friend Sunki," he said brightly keeping his voice soft, "We've been moved here to live with you. I hope we'll be able to get along."_

_One of the older kids sneered at him, "Why should we? Adults can't be trusted." _

_"You're right, they can't." All the kids looked surprised at Bolin's frank statement shock clear on their young faces. Bolin's smile turned a little more wicked, "What, did you think I'd say trust adults? Are you kidding? My brother and I grew up on the streets and we learned fast you never go to adults for help. They think they know what's best but they're always wrong." _

_One of the little girls whispered, "So if you're not adults, what does that make you?"_

_"Prisoners, just like you," Bolin said calmly grinning as Sunki sat down next to him. Within seconds they were being swarmed by delighted children who were babbling questions causing the two older benders to laugh. Somehow Sunki ended up with a bunch of the kids gently petting her hair asking how she kept it so shiny and pretty. _

_Bolin ended up with a lap full of tiny twin girls who giggled up at him. "Mr. Bo, can you tell us a story?" One asked shyly, her request getting delighted cheers from the other children._

_"A story huh? Well lucky for you pretty lady I know a good one," Bolin said to everyone's joy. "Let's see..how does it go? Oh yes, like this. Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee..." _

_That was how they passed the night, telling stories to the kids before eventually putting them to sleep. Bolin could see the relief in the older children's eyes and it was a painful realization. He'd seen that same expression several times over the years usually when Mako found someone who could watch his little brother for a while. Bolin just hoped the younger kids didn't pick up on it, nothing hurt worse than that moment you realized you were burden._

_Still it was a peaceful night and eventually they all fell asleep and it was nice and peaceful. Bolin just wished it could have lasted. The next morning he was jarred awake as the door to the barracks was slammed open bringing everyone to their feet. Bolin had to help the two little girls who had decided to sleep on him to their feet as he joined Sunki in the back._

_Hojo strutted into the room a smile on his smug face. "Good morning children," he announced waiting for the children to chorus back, "Good morning Uncle Hojo, with varying degrees of resentment. Sunki turned to Bolin with wide eyes mouthing "Uncle?" _

_Bolin shrugged, he had no idea what was going on. The level of crazy he'd had to deal with here was staggering to the imagination. _

_They could only watch as Hojo's swarm of assistants entered the room, Fatma among them her head down. They took measurements of the children along with blood samples. Bolin's blood ran cold as he watched them take samples of the smallest children, their arms were too thin to support the needles so the nurses shoved the needles into their necks. Bolin was shaking with rage as he listened to their heartbroken pained sobs and it was only Sunki's warning glare that kept him from reacting. _

_"Well, well, how are the two of you settling in?" Hojo asked coming to a stop in front of them giving the pair considering looks, "I hear you're getting along splendidly with the little ones, that's always a plus. However you can't stay long, there's an experiment that needs to be conducted."_

_Bolin's eyes narrowed at him. "And what experiment is that?" he growled out. _

_Hojo's twisted smile just grew, "Why, an experiment regarding your bending. Now come along." _

Bolin grumbled as he tried to button his shirt and keep track of the hyperactive firebender bouncing around near him. He adored Kazuki, he really did, but Bolin was convinced he'd trip over the kid and where would they be then? If only he could get Kazuki to stop coming up on his blind side...

"Are you sure you want to stay behind?" Bolin asked for the fifth time as they left the room.

Kazuki, for his part, just looked resigned to the constant question. "You're just going to be doing stupid official stuff," Kazuki grumbled rolling his eyes, "I don't want to have to sit there while you just talk about paperwork again."

"Alright, I get it," Bolin laughed gently ruffling Kazuki's hair, "I'll go do boring paperwork stuff and you'll slowly destroy the world."

"I'm just playing with Meelo."

"That's what I said..."

Kazuki just huffed at that, "Have fun with stupid adult stuff."

Bolin was still laughing as Kazuki went running off with Meelo both of them cackling madly as they went off to cause havoc. He only laughed harder when a very concerned Mako came around the corner.

"Why's your kid hanging out with Meelo?" Mako asked nervously.

Bolin just shrugged, "He needs friends his age."

"Still...Meelo? Really?" Mako had a pained look on his face as they headed towards the ferry landing where Akita was waiting for him. What Bolin had not been expecting was to find Wu standing next to her chattering away quite happily to the very confused looking firebender.

"What's going on?" Bolin asked.

"I was just talking to your lovely friend about your council," Wu said happily, "I did the whole concept absolutely fascinating. Plus, how much better would it be with royalty there? Is that a new eyepatch?"

"Yes it is," Bolin said slowly, "You really want to come with?"

"Of course! It sounds fun!"

Bolin turned to his brother hoping for a better explanation. "He wants to be a better ruler," Mako said tiredly.

Bolin shrugged and the four of them got on the ferry. He just watched as Wu dragged Mako away to babble excitedly about the exciting trip they were going on and something about visiting a spa? Bolin wasn't sure what was going on there. Akita lounged next to him, a wicked smile on her face. It was hilarious really, seeing how Akita was the legendary Ba Sing Se rose who was a famous political radio star whose stance was very firmly anti-monarchy.

Akita had spent years insulting and debasing the monarchy of the Earth Kingdom very publicly. She'd been arrested by the Earth Queen four times and had declared to the entire world she considered Wu to be an incompetent moron before Kuvira had disappeared her. So finding Wu asking her for advice was amazing.

They moved to the refugees headquarters which was a glorified warehouse with a table dragged inside. They were the last ones there which wasn't a surprise because they had the farthest to go. There were a couple of raised eyebrows at the sight of Wu but no objections which was always good. Though Mako was giving the exhausted and quiet Varrick strange looks from his place behind the grinning prince.

"Alright," Bolin said settling down at the table, "What's our situation?"

"Firebenders are going fine," Baraz said leaning back in his chair, "No accidental arson yet."

Ahnah took over, "The waterbenders have expressed an interest in learning healing arts to help the sick." That was awesome, Bolin would have to see about getting on that.

"Non-benders are helping where they can," Im Song reported happily.

Sunki took over next, "We're doing as well as expected really. Can't ask for much more than that really, I'm convinced most of them are waiting to wake up back in the camp."

"Aren't we all?" Baraz muttered getting a couple of half hearted laughs from the others.

Bolin was starting to get nervous at how well things were going. Nothing ever worked out for them in the long run. Something bad had to be coming up to make up for the good that had gotten them all the way to Republic City.

"Everything is going well for the earthbenders," Hiroshi admitted, "Except..."

"There it is," Akita groaned out. "The inevitable problem."

"Right...so..." Hiroshi ground out, "Nirin is causing trouble..."

Pained groans came from around the table at that name. Bolin shut his eye burying his face in his hands. Out of all the problems in the world, it had to be Nirin. He would have dealt with anyone over that jerk. And judging from the pained expressions on everyone else's faces they were all done with him as well.

"What's he doing now?" Varrick ground out.

"Well, he's convincing people that Kuvira knows where we are and she's sending troops to drag us back to the camp," Hiroshi explained, "Besides inducing mass panic he's also convincing the people they need to start preparing to fight back against her. He's holding up Zaheer as the shining image of progress."

"Because us becoming terrorists is really going to help," Sunki pointed out dryly before turning wide eyes towards Bolin, "We can't let him do this! If people listen to Nirin, all of our support is gone!"

"But we can't turn him away," Denji pointed out, "He's a refugee just like us."

"Alright, here's what we do. Everyone let your people know we will not protect terrorists, of they start blowing up buildings they're on their own. That should calm things down a big," Bolin explained to them. "Alright Denji, what's your status with the records?"

"It would be easier to just list everyone alive," Denji said a grim expression on his face, "Too many people are dead from the camps and it's impossible to find out who they were."

"I may be able to help with that," Varrick announced a shadow of his old grin appearing on his face, "You see, when we were rescued by the army I decided to liberate some documents that belonged to the commandant and the good doctor. So we have a list of every person who walked through the gates of camp 7. That should make it easier to find out who's missing or dead."

That was the first good news they'd gotten all day. Bolin couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as everyone traded relieved looks. With these notes they could finally show the world how they had suffered. It would change everything.

"Alright, so everyone knows what they need to do," Bolin continued once everyone's attention was firmly locked onto him, "I'm going to meet with President Raiko about finding a place to house us because living in warehouses does not cut it. Lucky for us the sailors on the Aurora wanted me to let you know they're offering to share their bunks as long as they're in port. Ask around and see if we can find anyone who wants to take them up on the offer."

Bolin let out a heavy sigh, "I know we've got to do a lot, and it sucks because I just want to head home and never think about that place again. But someone's got to do it and it's fallen on us so let's make our people proud. Everyone dismissed."

Everyone filed out to go take care of their business except for Varrick and Sunki who just slumped in their seats. They looked exhausted, even worse than everyone else had in the room. Bolin could understand it though, the two were the primary caretakers for the damaged children who had been tortured under Hojo's command. If Bolin had been having nightmares and unable to fully cope he could just imagine how much worse it was for the children, especially the little ones.

"How are you guys holding up?" Bolin asked them gently.

Sunki offered him a bitter smile which was all the answer needed. She'd been struggling since their rescue with the loss of her arm and it hadn't gotten any better once they'd reached the city. Varrick just looked plain exhausted. "It's not pretty kid," Varrick admitted, "I've been reading over Hojo's notes and it's even worse than we expected. The guy's insane."

Sunki's eyes filled with tears as she leaned back in her chair, "The kid's aren't adjusting and won't be able to as long as they're in the warehouses. They need real homes where they can start healing."

"I'll get the kids a place to stay. Akita's setting up a meeting with the Council now," Bolin promised her, "Varrick, I'll need copies of Hojo's files tomorrow morning if this is going to work. Anything else? No? Alright, let's get this done."

They all quickly went their ways, Bolin leading Mako and Wu away while Varrick and Sunki drifted away locked in a soft conversation about something that had gone wrong. Honestly Bolin just wanted to head out to the Aurora to see Iroh again but he had something bigger to do. He had to figure out a statement for the refugees.

"That was amazing!" Oh, and he'd forgotten Wu was there until the prince spoke up. "I've never seen anything quite like what you did! How did you get them all to listen? You don't just rely on your advisors? And who was the pretty water tribe girl sitting across from you?"

Bolin shrugged as they continued aware of the considering look Mako was giving him after that display. He was also aware of Wu bouncing along next to him. "I don't know, it just happened," Bolin explained sheepishly, "I mean, they only decided I was in charge yesterday."

Mako looked surprised, "So you're in charge of the refugees? Sounds tricky."

"That's not important though," Wu demanded waving his hands absently, "What matters is that water tribe girl! She was amazing, except for the scar on her face."

Really? Wu was focused on the scar and not the fact that SUnki was missing her arm? Oh, wait, she'd been wearing a coat that had hidden the fact that she was missing a limb so Bolin figured Wu had no idea. Not that he'd correct the guy because it would be hilarious to watch him figure it out. "Her name's Sunki, and she's already in a relationship," Bolin said dryly as they headed towards the island.

The ferry ride there was spent fending off Wu's questions and Mako's concerned prodding but finally they managed to get back with everyone in one piece. Bolin planned on locking himself in his room and trying to think of how to explain the presence of the refugees. Instead he had to wait as Kai came running up towards him calling his name excitedly. "Bolin!" Kai called out a wicked smile on his young face, "Some guy dropped by to deliver a bunch of fire lilies to your room!"

"What?" And there was the overprotective older brother. Sure enough Mako grabbed Bolin and started dragging him towards his room. "Who's leaving you flowers?" Mako demanded, "Is someone bothering you? Do you need me to have a word with them?"

"What? No! Mako it's fine," Bolin protested a light blush crossing his face. He was absently aware of Wu and Kai following behind them. "So...the truth is I'm kind of seeing someone but it's really new which is why I didn't tell you about it! I wanted to see if it would go somewhere first!"

"You broke up with Opal yesterday! When did you have time to meet this person!"

Luckily they reached Bolin's room before he had to come up with an answer. Instead Bolin got to watch as his older brother threw open the door and stormed inside dragging Bolin with him. The earthbender eyes were immediately drawn to the vase sitting in the middle of his room filled with delicate flowers. The light red and white of the white dragon flower brought Bolin a smile as he studied it. It was a very considerate courting gift.

* * *

**Please let me know what you all think. Again, it may take me some time to continue updates depending on doctor's appointments but I will try to be consistent. Hopefully it all works out. Until next time. **


	10. I Want the Fire Back

I know it may seem like I've forgotten this but I haven't. So what you get is one giant mass upload of everything I have written so far. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

_Bolin groaned as he collapsed against the wire fence that separated the barracks. Everything hurt from his fingernails to the tips of his toes and the cold metal felt good on his heated skin, even if he was sitting in slush. It was a good spot for a break because his friend's had left their barrack and were keeping him company as he rested._

_"I've never seen anyone fail that spectacularly," Baraz pointed out helpfully patting Bolin's shoulder through the wire._

_Ahnah hummed thoughtfully, "I don't know, I kind of liked the part where he got hit in the stomach."_

_"You guys suck," Bolin groaned out causing them all to laugh. It had been interesting at first, Hojo had decided that a select few benders would learn other bending styles to see how it affected their elements. Bolin had been lucky, he'd already had a base in firebending due to living with Mako so instead he'd been learning to water and airbend. Each one acted differently for earth, fire style hit harder, water was terrifying because watching earth twist wasn't natural, and airbending worked really well with sand._

_The firebender Hojo had chosen, one of the older children, had already demonstrated that earth and airbending style gave the fire more power. And everyone knew to get lightning you had to use waterbending._

_However the one having the most trouble was Sunki. While an incredibly talented waterbender she was struggling with the styles. Oh, she could use air style with snow and fire to shoot out ice, but earth was eluding her somehow. No matter what she did, when Sunki tried to earthbend water it just fell to the ground. Not that she really cared, but it was pissing Hojo off and that was the last thing any of them needed right now. And judging from her teary expression, Sunki was aware how dangerous her failures were right then._

_"She's not doing so well, is she?" It was a statement from Fahim instead of a question. They were all worried for her. If Sunki didn't figure it out, they all knew she'd be ending up in either one of the mass graves or the ovens by the end of the week._

_"Oh she'll be fine! The girl's tougher than solid steel and twice as stubborn! You just have to keep believing in her!" Varrick said patting Fahim's shoulder and getting confused looks from the sandbender._

_And that was the biggest change Bolin was getting used to. Apparently Varrick had gotten himself caught committing treason or something and ended up here. It was hard to understand the whole story when it was continuously interrupted by him yelling about Zhu Li and betrayal. Bolin should not have been so happy to see him. The eccentric billionaire had puzzled everyone in Bolin's old barracks with his constant cheerfulness. Except Akita and Kazuki who got along with them like a house on fire. (Coincidentally Kazuki had caught the barracks on fire. Turns out he's a firebender. Who knew?)_

_Still, they were getting along with Varrick and lot better than they did with Nirin the other guy who had joined them. Everyone seemed to hate Nirin with a burning passion and every time Bolin or Sunki asked after him the others had a new reason to despise the man. Somehow the guy was managing to piss everyone off and he'd only been there for a couple of days. It was impressive._

_Bolin leaned further back against the fence watchung Sunki pick herself up off the floor. "I've been hearing some rumors from the nurses," Bolin muttered knowing the others were leaning in close to listen, "Hojo's planning something big."_

_"There's more, the commandant is getting pretty nervous about something," Hiroshi rumbled placing a protective hand on Kazuki's shoulder, "I keep hearing him talking to the officers about getting ready."_

_Akita looked nervous, "Ready for what?"_

_"Who knows? But it can't be good," Baraz muttered._

_Bolin sighed rubbing his face tiredly. "We need to be ready for the worst case scenario. Like, if they decided to just kill off everyone in the camp we need to be able to move."_

_Ahanh looked surprised, "You want us to start plotting a rebellion?"_

_"A quiet one. We can't let the guards in on it or we're all dead," Bolin explained, "You guys have seen it, things are getting worse everyday here. We need to be able to fight back and get the hell out when the times right. Only talk to people you know we can get enough on our side, when the moments right everyone else will join in."_

_"If it's people we can trust, we can't tell Fatma," Kazuki added before quickly explaining at everyone's confused expressions, "I knew her before at camp 16. She had kids, a pair of twins, and she gave them to Hojo so she'd survive. She'd do anything to get out of here alive and she would turn us all in if she thought it would help her chances."_

_"He's right. We all know that's why she works for Hojo," Varrick said, "And we shouldn't tell Nirin either."_

_"No one was going to tell Nirin," Akita announced decisively, "Because he's an ass."_

_They had all expected things to go to hell in a handbasket after that, they were planning a revolt. Still, somehow they were managing to pull it off which was amazing. Soon the majority of the camp was in on it all of them banding together to bide their time before they struck back at the guards. Sunki and Bolin had already drilled the children on where to hide should the guards come for them but it was still nerve wracking._

_No, for the next month everything remained the same. Bolin adored the kids, and they adored him. Puff the Magic Dragon was their favorite story of all time and they asked for it every night. Hell, it was so popular that the kids had turned it into a song. Then everything began to fall apart._

_Hojo and the guards appeared one night before dragging Sunki and the firebending boy from the barracks and into the labs. Everyone waited up, eyes wide and scared for them to come back. Bolin spent the night dealing with the crying children while he tried to keep them calm._

_It was just after one in the morning when the guards came back dragging a body with them. That meant someone had survived the experiment and the lack of the second body meant the other hadn't. Carelessly the guards dropped the body to the floor where it fell limply with a sickening thud. Waiting until the guards left the room, Bolin rushed to the body and gently cradled it in his arms._

_It was Sunki, she'd survived. A nasty cut stretched up her face but that wasn't the worrying part. What got him was the bloody stump that used to be her arm. Hojo had cut it off for some ungodly reason. He had to act fast before she bled out. Bolin looked up addressing the children immediately, "I'm taking her next door for medical treatment alright? Everyone behave and keep your heads down, we should be back by morning."_

_The kids were all trained with this course of action. A couple of times a week Bolin snuck someone over to Ahnah for healing in the hopes of keeping them around. Which is why the children quickly pulled away one of the bunks revealing a hole that connected the two barracks for Bolin to use._

_He dropped down it quickly cradling Sunki carefully before rushing over to the other barrack, a quick earthbending trick had him appearing behind Baraz and Varrick's bunk. "Guys, I need help," Bolin hissed and that got everyone moving immediately. The pair were pulled out of the hole and Sunki was laid gently in the center of the room._

_"Where's Nirin?" Bolin hissed. He didn't have to ask about Fatma, she was working with Hojo right now._

_"Spirits knows," Akita grumbled as Kazuki scaled the edge of the barrack to pull down the waterskin they'd hidden in the rafters for situations just like this._

_Everyone gasped as they took in the bloody stump of her arm, sharing expression horrified. "Why would he do this?"_

_Sunki groaned a bit and oh lord, she was still conscious? Had she even been given a painkiller? Probably not. "He said...wanted to test waterbending...without a limb...:" Sunki gasped out pain clear on her features, "Crazy son of a bitch…"_

_Bolin could only stare in horror at his friend as she cried out in agony while Ahnah tried to heal her. Hojo had no doubt heard of Ming-Hua and was apparently trying to recreate her technique using Sunki. That was probably why Hojo had wanted a waterbender as powerful as Sunki to experiment on._

_Gently Bolin pulled a crying Kazuki in for a hug, cuddling the sobbing boy close to offer comfort. Akita's head was bowed as she studied her mangled hands, Varrick looked defeated just like Hiroshi and Baraz. Ahnah was probably only still going because she had to save Sunki's life._

_"First they came for the Fire Nation and I did not speak out because I was not Fire Nation," Fahim whispered into the silence a strained expression on his face, "Then they came for the Water tribe and I did not speak out because I was not Water tribe. Then they came for the Earth Kingdom and I did not speak out because I was not Earth Kingdom. Then they came for me. And there was no one left to speak for me."_

_Bolin just stared at Sunki who was writhing on the floor in agony. "It makes you wonder," Bolin muttered softly, "If anyone will ever speak for us."_

* * *

Korra wasn't sure what to expect when she'd been brought along to the Council. Tenzin had decided she should come with to help deal with the issues regarding the refugees. Now sitting at the table Korra wasn't sure what she should be doing. Surrounded by the stern faces of the various leaders she felt small. President Raiko, Tenzin, and Lin all looked incredibly grave as they waited for the representative for the refugees to appear. Fire Lord Izumi was seated next to General Iroh and they seemed to be having some kind of staring match. Really the only one who didn't seem concerned was Wu but that wasn't saying much.

"When is the representative supposed to arrive?" Lin demanded an annoyance beginning to appear on her face. "We can't keep waiting for them."

"I expect there's a reasonable explanation for why they're late," Tenzin was quick to jump in, "They are still facing some serious problems."

Luckily before any arguments could break out the doors to the meeting room swung open revealing the two representatives who walked in together, heads held high with pride. Once she overcame her shock as seeing Bolin walking in, Korra had to admit they cut a striking image together. The girl next to Bolin had placed her only hand in the crook of Bolin's arm as she swept to the main table, the empty sleeve of her coat where her arm was missing trailing behind them. When she sent Korra a smile the scars on the right side of her face were painfully obvious.

Bolin also remarkably different as he pulled out the chair for the girl. His eyepatch caught everyone's attention as he took his seat and the scars on his hand were obvious. They were both too thin their cheekbones clear and their skin stretched thin over their hands while they regarded the others gathered around the table.

The girl spoke up first her voice soft and gentle. "Please forgive our tardiness, I am Sunki and this is my partner Bolin. We were needed to deal with funeral arrangements for several of our people," she informed them and it was only then Korra could see a light burning in her eyes. Steely determination was clear for both her and Bolin as they regarded the others. They were cold, calculating, and Korra had no idea when her friend had changed so much.

Everyone else at the table except for Iroh looked uncomfortable at the mention of funeral arrangements. Korra herself wasn't sure what to do in the face of the refugees calm assertion of death.

"Of course," It wasn't surprising that Fire Lord Izumi was the first to recover, "I take it you have some demands on behalf of the refugees?"

"We do," Bolin didn't look nervous as he met the Fire Lord's eyes, "First and foremost, we want better housing conditions for the refugees."

Raiko waved his hand dismissively, "You've been given plenty of space, I do not see a problem here."

Bolin's eye narrowed. "You put us in warehouses by the bay," Bolin informed him coldly, "There is no heat, no running water, no food. Hell, at least the Earth Empire gave us bunks for us to sleep in."

Bolin let out a frustrated sigh before leaning forward to explain, "I'll be frank here. Many of the refugees and sick and injured from their time in the camps. We need better housing than a warehouse. Hell, if you don't have it we're willing to build them ourselves!"

Sunki leaned forward, "Over half of our people suffer from varying stages of hypothermia. Staying in a warehouse without any heat is not helping anyone. If it wasn't for the ongoing aid from the Aurora we'd have already lost at least twenty people."

What? Korra couldn't believe what she was hearing. Raiko had just funneled refugees into a bunch of warehouses and left them there? Seriously? That was horrible. And she could tell from the look on Tenzin's face that he felt the same way.

"Air Temple Island is open for anyone who needs aid," Tenzin said firmly And that was a relief.

General Iroh added, "I've already spoken to the other commanders of the military. We're opening as many rooms as possible for those in need."

"I'll have a word with my officers, see if any of them are willing to house refugees," Lin added gruffly but it was more than Korra had expected.

Izumi raised a brow, "I'll see what aid the Fire Nation can send."

Bolin's grateful smile was amazing to watch, "Thank you. We're not here for charity, we just need a little help to get back on our feet."

Raiko did not look impressed with them, "Do you have any other demands?"

"Just two more. Don't worry, they're very simple," Bolin regained the cold look as he regarded them once more, "First, when the Earth Empire falls there is a list of people we want charged as war criminals." Bolin reached into his jacket and pulled out a sheet of paper that he pushed forward.

Lin was the one to grab it, scanning it quickly. "These are some very serious accusations."

"We have proof," Sunki said coldly, "We managed to bring copies of their files with us."

"You stole them?" Again Raiko looked quite judgemental.

"We like to say...we liberated the files," Bolin smiled.

"Our final demand is that you give us a voice," Sunki said softly.

Bolin took over when it was clear she was unable. "They took everything from us in those camps," Bolin said softly, "They took our dignity, our honor. They even took our names and left us lying in the dirt with nothing. All we have is our stories of each injustice we faced and we want to share them."

"Kuvira out us there because no one would miss us," Sunki whispered, "No one would ask where we went because we were unwanted. Bolin here was the only soldier to ask after us and they arrested him also. No one would speak for us then."

Bolin looked over them, face serious. "So now, we'll speak for ourselves," he said softly, "All we want is for you to cooperate and broadcast our stories."

Raiko snorted, "And if I refuse?"

"We'll do it anyway," Bolin admitted with a shrug, "This is more of a heads up before we start."

Wu finally decided to join in, "And how do a bunch of refugees plan on doing that?"

It was Iroh who answered, an amused smile on his face, "You didn't hear? They have the Ba Sing Se rose."

Now, Korra had never heard that title before but apparently everyone else had seeing how all hell broke loose. Wu was up and yelling about anarchists for some reason while Lin and Raiko began snapping back and forth. Tenzin was trying to calm everyone down which was not working especially when Izumi joined in.

But what caught Korra's attention was Bolin's reaction. He was grinning, a childish sneaky grin, as he caught Iroh's eyes. The two shared a loaded look before returning their attention to the the rest of the table. Bolin was planning something, of that Korra was certain. And somehow he'd gotten Iroh in on it as well.

That had never been a problem before. Bolin had always told Korra everything. Now it felt like every other word out of his mouth was a lie. She had no idea what to do with this new quiet and withdrawn Bolin. Korra missed her friend, now more than ever.

* * *

_Bolin watched Sunki sleep, a worried frown present. It was an expression he'd been wearing all too often these days. Sunki had finally fallen into a semi-peaceful sleep. Her expression was still pinched with pain but Ahnah guessed she'd survive now._

_He wasn't the only one watching over Sunki. The others were all gathered around, their faces drawn and worn. One of their own was hurt badly. And there was nothing they could do to save her. It was a difficult situation to deal with._

_"Bolin?" He blinked a little, awareness returning in one swift movement. Akita was standing next to him, a nervous expression clear on her face. "Can I talk to you?" she asked softly, "Alone?"_

_"Yeah..sure. Why don't we head outside?" It was difficult to leave Sunki when she was so vulnerable, but somehow Bolin managed it. He closed the door behind him leaving them in the cold night air. Akita though refused to look as him. Instead she dragged him up the fence so they could clamber onto the roof of the building._

_It was refreshing to lie there in the cold night air. There were no clouds in the sky so they could see all of the stars shining down in the frosty night air. High above the moon was shining. Until that moment Bolin hadn't realized how refreshing it was to see that the night sky had not changed._

_Bolin wasn't sure how long he lay there waiting for Akita to say something, but eventually his patience won out and Akita began to talk._

_"I had a radio show in Ba Sing Se. I talked about world events, about how our people suffered under the old Earth Queen and her injustice. She had me arrested a couple of times but I always got out eventually," Akita whispered, "I welcomed Kuvira you know, I thought she was just what we needed to move forward. But I knew I was wrong when people began to disappear for no reason. So I went on the air and demanded her government answer for those missing people."_

_Akita let out a hopeless laugh, a chilling sound Bolin would always remember on cold, clear nights. "The people rioted Bolin. Kuvira had to find someone to blame and I was it. They dragged me out of my house in the dead of night and threw me on the train to come to camp 7 where I'd be forgotten."_

_The story was horrible, but so was everyone's here. It made Bolin wonder why it mattered so much for her to tell him._

_Taking in a shuddering breath, Akita whispered, "Bolin...I was the Ba Sing Se rose."_

_Oh._

_That was why._

_Somehow she'd found out how Bolin had ended up in the camp. He felt weird, floaty and kind of distant right then. Bolin didn't know what he should say to her. One part of him was furious. He was here because of Akita. She was the entire reason why he was trapped in this camp suffering. It was all her fault._

_But the other part of him made Bolin wonder what it would have changed. He'd already been in Ba Sing Se, he'd seen what Kuvira was doing to the people there. It had only been a matter of time before Bolin had gotten himself arrested. So it really didn't matter that Akita's mother had asked him for help._

_Bolin didn't look at her when he spoke. It would have been too uncomfortable. "That doesn't change anything between us," Bolin told her, "I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of pissed at you but I'll get over it. I mean, it's an irrational anger but still here."_

_Akita smiled back at him, relief clear in her eyes before they both lay back and watched the stars overhead._

* * *

It was a relief to leave the council room and get away from the constant arguing. Bolin hated how this, hated how these leaders could argue all day and still nothing ever got accomplished. He'd been surprised to see Korra sitting there at the council table though. Bolin hadn't thought Tenzin would want her to participate in this particular meeting.

There wasn't a real need for the Avatar to take part in these discussions. Korra had been too shocked to help or do anything really for the refugees. Even better was the fact that Mako was still Wu's protection detail and had watched the whole thing. There was only so long Bolin would be able to put off telling them exactly what had happened in the camps.

Actually, why should he? Why should any of them stay quiet in the face of the injustice they'd felt? He'd been talking to the others about a plan for a while now on how to get their stories out to the world. This was the perfect time to do it while Raiko was still reeling with their demands, especially before he put out orders on how to quiet them.

Because people would try to quiet them. It was easier not to think about how the refugees had suffered, Bolin had already seen it on his friend's faces. Asami had taken to avoiding looking at his eye patch. Korra was treating him with kid gloves, always nervous that something she said would make him burst into hysterical tears of something.

Everyone but Mako acted like he was broken now. And Bolin was so thankful to his brother for that. Because even though Mako recognized Bolin had changed, he still treated his little brother as someone who could handle the demons haunting him and it helped. It helped a lot.

Maybe that was part of what was dragging the other refugees down, Bolin mused. He'd seen the pity the refugees faced every day. Sunki had to deal with the whispers of how tragic it was that such a beautiful girl be maimed for example. Everyone at the Air Temple treated Kazuki like he would break if a stray breeze hit him and it was ridiculous. The refugees were the strongest people Bolin had ever met and they deserved to be treated that way.

"Bolin." Bolin turned as the sound of his name, confused as to who could possibly want to talk to him right now. A small smile crossed his face when he saw Iroh walking proudly towards him. Judging from the knowing look Sunki have him, Bolin realized he must look like a love sick idiot.

"I was hoping to speak with your privately," Iroh murmured, "If you no longer need him for anything Sunki?"

"Oh no General, he's all yours," Sunki informed them both a sly smile crossing her face, "Just remember Iroh, we do need Bolin back eventually."

That got a surprised laugh from Iroh and spirits Bolin loved that sound. "I'll be sure to return him in one piece," Iroh promised her, winning a stunning smile from the girl as she turned to leave.

"Wait Sunki, I need you to talk to the others for me," Bolin said before she left. He needed the others on their council to talk about this while he spoke with Iroh. Sunki waited patiently for him to talk in the hallway. Bolin took a steadying breath, "I need you to tell the others I want to start the interviews today."

It was a bombshell, he knew that. Everyone on the council expected at least two more weeks before the interviews would begin, plenty of time to heal and process what was happening. For it to be happening right now, after only a week back, was unheard of. But Bolin knew they needed to move fast, especially after today.

Luckily for him, Sunki seemed to understand his reasoning now. "Of course, we'll get it started," she informed him before turning to leave him and Iroh alone.

Iroh led Bolin to an empty room in the council building before pulling the door closed behind them. "Well, that went better than I was expecting," Iroh said dryly getting a bright laugh out of Bolin.

Grin shining on his face, Bolin beamed at Iroh. "I'm kind of concerned to see what you would consider a disaster," Bolin teased gently. He could only laugh again as Iroh sent him a look of exasperation, although it soon melted into a fond look in the face of Bolin's cheer.

Moving in close, Bolin tugged Iroh in for a hug, resting his chin on the firebender's shoulder. "Thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful," Bolin mumbled because spirits. He loved how warm firebenders were, "But where did you get white dragon flowers? I thought they were really rare?"

"Don't worry about the flowers, they weren't any trouble," Iroh murmured holding Bolin close. "I'm just happy you liked them."

It was nice to be held again. Bolin had grown used to constant contact in the camps, it had been the only way to survive. He'd spent most nights sharing a bunk with either Kazuki, or the little kids in the other barrack. It was hard getting used to not clinging to people constantly. Luckily Iroh was completely fine with Bolin hanging off of him and that was great. It was just one more reason Bolin was crazy about the man.

"As nice as this is, what did you need to tell me?" Bolin asked pulling away just a little so he could stare into Iroh's eyes.

Iroh quirked an eyebrow, "What makes you think it was more than just wanting to get you alone?"

Bolin rolled his eyes, "I know you better than that. You'd never do something like that when you were wearing your uniform. You have too much respect for the army."

"You do know me quite well," Iroh murmured giving Bolin a quick kiss before getting down to business, "How is everything going for the refugees. I heard you mention something about funerals so be honest."

Bolin groaned leaning forward to press his forehead against Iroh's shoulder. "Everything is falling apart," Bolin whispered, "They're getting desperate for something better to come along. It's just bad Iroh, the warehouses are scarily like the barracks. It's worse than I told you in the meeting really...Varrick's worried about a cholera outbreak because the water is so bad."

"Is there anything else I can do help?" Iroh asked softly.

"It's not that...it's just that we need something good to happen for once," Bolin mumbled, face pressed comfortably against Iroh's shoulder, "I told them everything would be better once we got to Republic City but instead we were shoved into shitty buildings and forgotten about. The people who found their families have it even worse, their parents expect them to be normal but we're not anymore. We can't forget what happened or move on from it and no one understands!"

Bolin took in a shuddering breath aware that he was beginning to cry. The last thing he wanted was to get Iroh's uniform wet. "No one understands what happened to us but you," Bolin whispered wrecked from the struggle of keeping it in. He couldn't keep from sobbing brokenly as Iroh held him close.

"It's alright, I'm here. Nothing will hurt you as long as I'm around," Iroh promised, his own voice thick with emotion, "I can't understand what you've been through, but I will always be here to catch you when you need it."

It wasn't much, but for Bolin it was enough. He didn't need deceleration of love, or ridiculous promises. He just needed to have someone to believe in.

Bolin lost track of how much time they spent clinging to each other in that room but finally Iroh pulled back. They were still close but not on top of each other anymore. "We should get going," Iroh murmured, "You're friends are probably looking for you."

"And you have a ship to run," Bolin finished with a cheeky grin. It slid away quickly though as Bolin sobered, "I'm going to give my interview about what happened in the camp. But I don't think I'll be able to get through it without you there."

"Just tell me when and where and I'll come," Iroh promised pulling Bolin for a final kiss. They pulled back slowly, reluctant to leave their own private room and return to the real world. A real world where everything was slowly falling apart no matter what they did. "Let me take you and Kazuki out for dinner," Iroh said gently opening the door to let them back out into the hallway, "I figure we should tell him about our relationship ourselves."

Bolin nodded, "Sounds like a date. You'll stop by the Air Temple?"

"Of course, I'll see you this evening," Iroh promised before they parted ways for the afternoon.

Walking down the hallway, Bolin wasn't surprised when he saw Korra waiting nervously by the entrance for him. It was getting easier to smile at her, so it was with a light heart that Bolin approached. "I take it Mako's escorting his majesty away?" Bolin asked gently opening the door to lead her outside.

Korra smiled back, but it was a shadow of her usual grins, "Yeah, Wu's decided that Mako's going to train him. It's been interesting."

Bolin could believe it, he'd pay to watch Wu try to deal with Mako's level of training. Bolin had spent years suffering when Mako decided it was time to teach his little brother to survive in the streets and it had hurt. It had hurt a lot.

"So, you want to tell me what's wrong?" Bolin asked because Korra had been suspiciously silent the entire time they'd been walking. It wasn't normal.

Korra took in a shaky breath before whispering, "I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm so sorry Bolin," Korra looked up at him with teary eyes, "It's all my fault that you guys were suffering. If I hadn't run away from my responsibilities I could have stopped her before it got this bad. Or if I'd just won when we fought at Zaofu..."

"Korra, it's fine," Bolin said softly, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "It's over."

"But it's not over and it's not okay!" Korra snapped, "You're all still suffering and no ones doing anything! And all I could do in the council was just sit there while you had to defend the refugees and you shouldn't have to do that!"

Bolin raised a hand, cutting her off before she could continue her rant. "You're right, I shouldn't have to defend them," Bolin admitted, "But no one else will, so I have to do it. It's the right thing to do."

They were quiet for the rest of the walk back to the Air Temple. Bolin knew Korra was struggling to deal with what he'd just told her and what she'd heard in council. It was a lot to comprehend, the sheer amount of pain and suffering the refugees had faced. If he hadn't had to suffer through it, Bolin probably wouldn't have been able to believe it either.

"What can I do to help?" Korra asked as they stepped onto the island.

Bolin shrugged, "Not sure but when I think of something I'll let you know."

He would have said something a little more comforting but this wasn't the time. Because standing in front of the temple was Akita and Kazuki who were the in the middle of a firebending practice. Bolin came to a stop to watch, a fond smile on his face. It was nice to see his friend train his kid and Bolin knew if he played his cards right he'd get Mako to help out as well.

Korra settled down to watch with him, a confused expression on her face as she watched the practice session. It didn't look like most bending sessions, there was no actual fire involved. Kazuki was just going through the forms while Akita supervised, moving his leg a little or tilting his hand before waving him forward.

"What are they doing?" Korra asked watching the pair intently.

"Practice," Bolin said with a grin, "He's got to get the form down perfectly before he can use fire. Ah, see there it is." And sure enough Akita gave the kid of thumbs up before moving back a little. Kazuki then moved slowly through the form, twisting and turning as fire flew from his fingers.

Korra whistled as she watched it. "He's amazing," she said simply, "I didn't know kids could have control like that."

Bolin shrugged, "He learns fast and he's got the power to match. Hey kid!"

"Bolin!" Kazuki cheered running over for a hug, "Did you see me? Akita says I did really well!"

Bolin laughed, playfully ruffling the kid's messy hair. "You did amazing from what I could see," Bolin said cheerfully. The absolutely delighted grin on Kazuki's face was worth it. "How about after dinner I teach you some earth bending?"

Kazuki cheered before rushing off into the building a world grin on his young face. It was amazing to watch him acting his age after all the horrors Kazuki had faced.

"Wait, you're going to teach him earthbending?" Korra asked, a confused expression on her face, "I thought firebenders could only learn firebending?"

Akita let out a harsh bark of laughter at that. "Nah, anyone can learn the stances," Akita explained, "It just relates to different aspects of bending. Like Bolin here, he's great with waterbending style."

Korra looked absolutely delighted by this news. Bolin just knew he'd end up showing Korra a couple of moves before the week was out. But he had other things to worry about right now. "Akita, can you talk to Kazuki for me?"

"Sure," Akita gave him a suspicious look, "What's up?"

"We're starting the interviews tomorrow and I want him ready." A bit harsh but true. Out of everyone he knew, Akita would be the best to prepare anyone for the questions they'd have to answer.

"There a reason you're not telling your own kid?" Akita demanded.

"Yeah...I'm going to be too out of it to help," Bolin admitted starting for the temple, "I'm going to tell Mako what happened in the camps."


	11. So I Will Walk Through the Fire

_Everyone jumped when the barrack doors slammed open. Bolin quickly pulled Kazuki behind him, planning on using his body as a human shield if needed. Fahim and Hiroshi were blocking Sunki from view, which was good seeing how she was still unconscious on the floor holding the stump of her arm.  
_

_As the figure stepped through the doorway, no sound was heard. They were all too terrified to even breathe near him. That small part of the brain that reacts to predators had taken over. The belief if you stayed still enough the predator couldn't see you was playing across all of their pale faces as Hojo stepped into the room his guards waiting by the doorway. _

_"Well, well, it seems like I've discovered where my escaped experiments have gone," Hojo said cooly studying them. His eyes lingered on Ahnah which alarmed everyone. "It's time to return unless you wish for your friends to suffer as well."_

_"No, we'll go with you," Sunki gasped out struggling to her feet. She lurched forward so she could rest her weight against Bolin who held her up. They were moving slowly but steadily towards Hojo when the insane doctor noticed Varrick for the first time. _

_"This is certainly a surprise," Hojo murmured holding up a hand for the prisoners to stop moving, "The great inventor Varrick, present here in camp 7."_

_Varrick's smile was grim, "Well I heard such great reviews that I couldn't help but want to come visit."_

_Hojo's smile didn't wane even in the face of such blunt sarcasm, "Well I am not the type of man to pass up on such a great opportunity. You." He pointed to one of the guards. "Fetch the girl. Now."_

_The doctor returned his attention back to the prisoners huddled together. "Tell me Varrick, how would you like to come work for me?"_

_"I hear you have an assistant already," Varrick protested a nervous smile on his face._

_Hojo didn't respond, not even when the guards dragged in Fatma. She was pale and trembling when forced to kneel before them. Hojo's expression didn't change even once, not when he drew his gun. Not even when he shot Fatma between the eyes then and there. _

_No one screamed. They were too stunned to. The only noise was Kazuki's soft sobs as the child buried his face in Akita's side. Everyone else just stared at the corpse lying there, blood pooling around her head. Bolin, for the first time since he had arrived here, felt well and truly numb. The ever present rage that had been simmering inside him since the first day was gone, destroyed with that one gunshot. _

_Any hope that had remained was also now dead. _

_Hojo looked up from Fatma's corpse, "There's a new opening. I suggest you take it."_

_Varrick nodded, face closed off from all expression._

_"Good, report in tomorrow," Hojo turned to leave gesturing for Bolin and Sunki to follow. Once again he stopped before leaving the shack, "Prisoners, where is your other inmate?"_

_Shit. He meant Nirim. None of them had any idea where that man had gone. Hesitantly Baraz managed to murmur, "We don't know doctor."_

_"Is that so?" Hojo hummed thoughtfully, "I will have to inform the commandant then."_

"So what's up?" Mako asked walking into his little brother's room. "Korra came by and said you had to talk to me about something important."

"Yeah...I did," Bolin muttered before a small frown crossed his face, "Hey, where's the prince?"

"Korra's guarding Wu."

"I am so sorry for her right now."

"Everyone's sorry about that," Mako teased before sitting down across from Bolin, "And don't think I'm not onto you. You're stalling."

Bolin grumbled a little at that. He'd forgotten how well Mako knew his tells after so many years apart. Bolin had at least expected the eye patch to throw Mako off for a little bit. But no such luck.

"Okay, so do you remember when I showed you the brand on my wrist? And said one day I'd tell you where it came from?"

Mako had to struggle not to shake his little brother for some answers. "Yeah...I remember..."

"Well, I'm going to tell you now. I...I just need you to listen to this alright?"

"Sure thing bro," Maki said softly, "I won't say anything till you finish."

"Alright, thanks. Okay, here it goes," Bolin took in a shuddering breath, "Kuvira sent me to Ba Sing Se to stop the riots there, she said something about me being the only one who could calm things down. I was an idiot and believed her so I went. But I remembered what you and Opal said about Kuvira so I didn't wear my uniform and just walked around and then I ran into this mother who was looking for her kid. The Earth Empire had made the girl disappear, so I went looking for her which is why I was arrested.

"They put me on a train packed with a bunch of other people. It was hot and crowded and we didn't get any food. I spent the trip helping a mother care for her son. His name was Hidashi."

Bolin let out a soft sob as the memory of the kid's dead face filled his minds eye. "I buried that kid not a week later. I...I killed the guards for that. I was so sick of the pain, the hunger, and the humiliation. I burned them alive with my lava and didn't feel any remorse. I still don't feel bad for it. Some days I wish I'd taken more of them out. After that they gave me to the doctor and he...he experimented on me for months Mako…"

Mako didn't even think. He just lunged forward dragging Bolin in close, sheltering him in his arms. He held his brother gently, shushing him when Bolin began to sob brokenly into his shoulder. Mako stroked Bolin's hair but refused to say a word. Bolin had asked him to be silent.

"I'm so sorry Mako," Bolin sobbed, "I was so angry there, all the time. Everything I saw just made the hate inside of me grow and I feared...I feared one day there would be nothing left."

"It's alright," Mako whispered breaking his vow of silence. But Bolin needed the comfort more.

"It's not alright!" Bolin shook his head in denial, "Spirits Mako! I was so angry at everyone there. I hated Korra for running away from her responsibilities, I hated Asami for not looking for me, and Kai and Opal and Tenzin. Hell I hated you for not saving me!"

Mako flinched. Truth was, he hated himself for not saving his baby brother. He'd promised to always protect Bolin from harm. And he'd failed. What kind of older brother was he, if his little brother had been tortured under his watch? Mako would always regret that he'd failed.

"But then General Iroh came and rescued us. He carried me out of that hell Mako and back into the light," Bolin whispered and the adoration was clear in his little brother's voice, "He helped put me back together and the hate stopped. I didn't have time for it, Kazuki needed someone to look after him, the refugees needed someone to speak on their behalf…"

"And that person had to be you?" It wasn't right for Bolin, who was only twenty, to have to speak up for a whole boatload of suffering souls. Not when Bolin had been suffering with them.

"No one else was functioning enough to do it," Bolin mumbled his voice dull, "Everyone was just lying there, so sick and hungry. You could see their bones...I know you think I look really thin now but it used to be a lot worse. I had to do something to help!"

That was just like his younger brother. "And now you're in charge of the refugees." Sighing Mako drew Bolin even closer, unconsciously warming himself so the familiar heat would creep over to Bolin. "I know it doesn't mean much but I am so proud of you, little brother."

Bolin let out a wet laugh, snuggling close. "Thanks bro, it means a lot," Bolin pulled back wiping the tears from his eyes, "I have to tell you something else, but don't freak out alright? Mako. I'm in a relationship with General Iroh."

"What?" There was no way he'd heard that right. Mako pulled back to stare into Bolin's eye, "You're seeing the General?"

Bolin shrugged, "Well, yeah. It started after I left the camps."

"Did he take advantage of you?"

"NO!" Bolin spluttered waving his arms around, "He's been a perfect gentleman the entire time. So be nice to him."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

"No, I mean it Mako. Be nice...Mako? Mako where are you going? Do NOT got after Iroh, I mean it!"

_He was freezing to death, there was no way around it. Curled up in a small ball to conserve what little heat he retained, Bolin trembled while staring blankly at the frozen floor. He was alone. Completely alone in the freezer._

_Bolin had always hated winter. Growing up in the streets of Republic City, winter had been the worst time of year for the homeless. Most winters had been spent hidden in an earthen tent tending to the small fire Mako kept going with Pabu. His brother was better equipped to deal with the cold as a firebender. The second time Bolin had come down with frostbite, Mako had kept him inside. Even once they'd moved into an apartment Mako had been overprotective about Bolin going out when it was winter._

_Not that it helped him now. _

_Hojo had decided to lock Bolin in the freezer to see what would happen. Hojo had already tested the freezer on waterbenders, firebenders, and earthbenders to see how frostbite reacted to their bending. He hadn't tested it on a lavabender yet and was just jumping for the chance._

_Which was how Bolin had found himself locked inside the freezer until frostbite kicked in. It was going to hurt. A lot. _

_What had he done to deserve this? What spirit or god had Bolin offended to have to suffer through this everyday? Why wasn't anyone coming for him?_

_Korra was the Avatar. She should be here, stopping this from even happening. It was her duty to the world to stop people like Kuvira and Hojo but instead she was running away from it all. And for what? Because Zaheer hurt her? Big deal. Hojo was hurting him everyday but Bolin didn't run away. He didn't turn his back on his friends. Where would the little kids be if Bolin just left? Where would Sunki, or Kazuki be if Bolin just decided to leave right then and there. But Korra could run away because she was the Avatar. Because she was special. Well everyone in these camps was special! Why couldn't Korra just own up to her problems and deal with it?_

_And where were the rest of his so called friends? He disappears off the map and suddenly they don't care. Why? Because he had gone to work for Kuvira? Didn't that just show how great his so-called friends were. Make one little mistake in the name of the greater good and they all turned their backs. Asami had promised to always be there for him, even when she hadn't been speaking to Mako. Kai called him brother. Opal acted like she cared but it was all a lie. They had all abandoned him here. Bolin had gone searching for Akita before even he'd known her. Bolin had cared to look. They didn't and he couldn't forgive that. _

_And then...oh, then there was Mako. _

_Perfect big brother Mako who could do no wrong. Who everyone loved. Well, where was Mako? Where was the golden big brother who'd promised to protect him from all harm? Mako had said he would always be there, even when everyone else was gone in the world. "I'll move heaven and hell to keep you safe," what a load of shit. His big brother wasn't coming to get him._

_No one was going to come. _

_"Is this what you wanted?" Bolin screamed pounding his fists against the frozen floor, "Did you want to prove to me that no one would come? Because it worked alright! It fucking worked!"_

_Why was he crying? The tears were just going to freeze against his skin so it really wasn't helping. Bolin refused to cry for them anymore. _

_"I hate them," Bolin whispered. His voice continued to pick up volume, "I hate them. I hate them! I HATE THEM ALL! WHY?" _

_Bolin's knuckles were bloody from beating them against the ground. _

_"What do you want from me!" He screamed, voice cracking in the cold air, "What do you want me to do Hojo! WHY AM I EVEN IN HERE!" _

_No one answered because he was alone. No one was coming for him, and Bolin just had to accept that. Bolin didn't want to fight any more, he was tired of having to struggle to survive each day. When the guards dragged him out of the freezer early the next day Bolin didn't struggle. He just lay, body limo, as the pulled him outside before dumping him in the snow._

_"Please," Bolin mumbled face down in the snow, "Please let me die..."_

"Come on Kazuki," Bolin gently called out leading the child out to the ferry, "What's with the long face?"

Kazuki just shrugged, his eyes on the ground as he walked next to Bolin. "I don't want to talk about it," he grumbled. Bolin frowned when he noticed how red Kazuki's eyes were, almost as if the kid had been crying.

Bolin sighed before pulling Kazuki in for a hug. "Is this because we're going to start doing the interviews about the camps?" Bolin asked. Kazuki flinched which meant Bolin figured out what was bothering the child. "Look, you don't have to go to the interview if it's too hard for you. No one will judge you for that Kazuki. I know it's hard to talk about what happened in the camps."

Kazuki stared at Bolin with large, golden eyes. There was a strange expression on his young face. "But you're going to do the interview."

It was a statement, not a question. "Yes. I am."

"Why?"

Of course he had to ask that. Bolin wasn't lucky enough to have found a kid who was quiet and didn't question things. Bolin hummed thoughtfully, thinking before he decided to answer. "We both saw terrible things in the camps," Bolin admitted slowly, "Things that no one should ever have to see. I've watched entire families be slaughtered. And I am the only one who can speak for them, because no one else can."

Bolin reached down to gently ruffle Kazuki's hair, "That's why I'm going to do the interview. Because the only way I can honor the people we've lost is to tell their stories to the world."

Kazuki seemed to be thinking about that even as they joined Iroh. "He's thinking about the interviews," Bolin explained softly to Iroh as the group walked down the street together. Iroh nodded, a sign that he understood, before deftly changing the subject to a lighter subject as he led Bolin into a restaurant.

The adults somehow managed to get Kazuki to join them in lighthearted conversation as they ate. It was the sight of Iroh listening intently to Kazuki's excited story of learning to firebend than nearly brought Bolin to tears. This was his family, these two wonderful people sitting next to him. And Bolin would do anything to keep them safe from all harm.

"Kazuki, there's something I wanted to ask you," Iroh's voice cut through Bolin's thoughts, pulling him back to the present. Bolin couldn't help but smiling as he noticed the nervous look on Iroh's face as the firebender regarded the young child. Stick an enemy ship in front of him and Iroh was fine, leave him with a child and he had no idea what to do.

"I understand that you're going to be living with Bolin now," Iroh said slowly, making sure to choose his words with care, "And I am also aware that you have known that Bolin and I have discussed...pursuing a relationship once we'd returned to Republic City." Bolin smiled at how adorable Iroh was being right now.

"And I wished to ask for your permission to properly court Bolin before marrying him."

Kazuki frowned and Bolin felt a stab of fear cross through him. Iroh had stated he refused to form a relationship with Bolin if Kazuki was against it. And now it was looking more and more like Kazuki would say no.

"I don't understand," Kazuki said softly, "Aren't you two married already?"

Bolin blinked, surprise going through him before throwing back his head and laughing. It was one part relief, another part pure joy. Kazuki had basically just given his blessing for them to be together, it was perfect. Kazuki looked even more confused at Bolin's laughter, but a smile was clear on his young face as he ate happily. Iroh looked as if the greatest gift had just been presented to him. It was a good look for the so usually serious general.

They finished dinner and headed back to the island. Kazuki stayed close to them, a delighted smile on his young face as he held Bolin's hand chattering away. Iroh though had a pensive frown on his face as they walked together.

"What's wrong?" Bolin asked gently reaching out with his free hand to hold Iroh's.

Iroh took Bolin's hand gladly. "I just realized, if I wish to do this properly there is one more person I need to ask," Iroh explained, a nervous undercurrent apparent in his voice.

That caught both Bolin and Kazuki's attention. Neither was aware of another person Iroh would need to talk to.

Iroh let out a resigned sigh, "I need to ask your brother for his blessing."

"Oh," Bolin had not even thought about that. There was no possible way for that to end well. Mako did not seem particularly approving of the match when Bolin had spoken to him about it, and he doubted Mako had changed his mind about the whole affair.

Bolin just had one piece of advice for Iroh then.

"You're going to want to do it outside then. Pema doesn't like firebending in the house."

_Three days before the freezer. _

_Bolin was woken up by the blasting of whistles from the outside world. Stumbling to his feet, he traded worried looks with Sunki as they rose. "Children, stay quiet," Bolin ordered to the other test subjects as Sunki led the way outside, "We'll tell you what's happening."_

_"Be careful Bolin," one of the little ones whispered. Bolin sent them a reassuring smile before slipping out of the barracks and rushing to the fence that cut them off from the rest of the camp. Sunki was already pressed against the fence watching nervously. "What's happening?" Bolin hissed coming to stand next to her. _

_"I don't know," Sunki whispered, "But they've gathered the entire camp." And it was true. All of the prisoners were gathered in neat lines worried expressions on their faces. The men stood on one side of the camp, and the women on the other. They all looked terrified as the commandant began walking down the aisle the prisoners had left between them._

_Their friends from the barracks were gathered next to them, faces pale in the wan winter light. Bolin could only breathe a sigh of relief once he realized that Kazuki wasn't there. It meant the kid had listened and hidden as soon as the whistle began to blow. _

_"Something's wrong," Bolin whispered to Sunki, "There has to be a reason for why the commandant wants everyone out here. And I don't think it's good for us."_

_The commandant came to a stop in front of the gathered prisoners, a dark expression on his face. "You may be wondering why you gathered here today! I understand that you all have jobs you to be completing so I will keep this short. It has come to my attention that yesterday a prisoner tried to escape from the camp." _

_Horrified gasps echoed through the camp. Bolin reared back a shocked expression clear on his face. "No," Sunki whispered pure terror clear in her voice, "Who would be stupid enough to do that?" _

_"Luckily we caught the escaping prisoner and brought him back," the commandant said coldly, "And he is being dealt with even as we speak. However, I realized you all must be reminded of what happens to your fellows when they escape. Successful escapes get twenty, unsuccessful get ten."_

_Bolin frowned wondering what the hell the commandant talking about. Dread started to fill him as he watched ten guards move forward to stand in front of ten of the prisoners. Fahim was the only one of Bolin's friends who faced a guard and the brave sandbender didn't flinch. He stood tall and strong to the bitter end, not flinching even when the guards pulled the trigger. _

_Screams erupted from the camp as the ten men fell down dead, blank eyes staring at the sky. "NO!" Akita screamed lunging forward towards the commandant before Ahnah pulled the screaming firebender back. Bolin could only watch, tears pouring down his face, as Varrick rushed over the Fahim's side. _

_"Is he alright?" Bolin yelled shaking the fence, "Varrick, tell me Fahim's alright?" _

_Varrick bowed his head in sorrow. "I'm sorry kid but I can't. Fahim's dead." _

_"Who the hell tried to escape?" Baraz growled out steam pouring from his nostrils, "Who could possibly be stupid enough to screw us over?"_

_Hiroshi's face was blank as he mumbled, "Everyone was accounted for last night..."_

_"Not everyone," Ahnah spat out getting everyone's attention. The waterbender was crying silently a disgusted expression on her face, "Nirim was missing last night."_

_"That bastard," Sunki hissed and the pure hatred on the usually sweet waterbender's face scared Bolin, "He's the reason Fahim's dead!"_

_Baraz snarled, "I'm going to kill him!" He was just one of the voices calling for violence. Bolin couldn't believe it, his friends weren't blood thirsty killers! It should bother them more to be talking about killing Nirim. This camp was poisoning them all, and no one had noticed._

_"No one's going to touch Nirim!" Bolin demanded, his voice echoing across the camp. Distantly he was aware that all of the prisoners were watching him even as he glared Baraz down, "We are not going to turn on each other!"_

_"Nirim already turned on us!" Baraz screamed back._

_"I don't care! This is just what the commandant wants! He wants us to turn on each other!" Bolin screamed back, "And I refuse to watch us rip each other to shreds for those fuckers! So you're going to leave Nirim alone, is that clear? Good."_

_With that Bolin turned on his heel and stormed back into the experiments barracks, slamming the door behind him. The other prisoners traded unsure looks before slinking back into their barracks leaving the center of the camp deserted except for the ten dead men. _

_"We're not seriously planning on leaving Nirim alone, are we?" Hiroshi demanded once they were all inside their barrack. _

_Akita glared at the earthbender, "Bolin said not to kill him, so we won't."_

_"You're joking," Hirsohi let out a dark laugh, "We're not seriously listening to some kid, are we?" _

_"You bet your ass we are," Varrick snapped moving quickly into Hiroshi's space. "That kid has been working himself to death on a way to get us all out. Or did you forget who came up with the plan to escape?"_

_"He taught us sign language so the guards wouldn't catch us," Ahnah pointed out, "Bolin is the only one here who had any military training!"_

_"Hey!" _

_"Shut up Varrick. You don't count," Baraz cut in, "Bolin's the one who will get us out of this place alive, so do as he says Hiroshi."_

_"Besides, enough people have died today," Varrick said tiredly, "Let's not give them another body."_

Today was the day. The refugees were gathered together to form a massive line. They stood together holding each other's hands whispering in fear about what they would face. In one of the warehouses there was a table set up where Akita waited with recording equipment and a series of questions. Denji sat outside the building with a list of names of all the refugees. It was a simple process. Tell Denji your name, he marks you off, tell Akita the story, then leave. Easy.

Or it would have been if Bolin hadn't made the mistake of asking for support.

"Is there a reason why you're here?"

"You're brother asked for my support, seeing how we are in a relationship. I fail to see why you decided to come. Don't you have a job you should be doing?"

"I could say the same for you."

Bolin let out a pained groan, burying his face in his hands as Mako and Iroh argued over his head. Denji, the traitor, was too busy laughing to say anything else. "This who you wanted as emotional support?" The non-bender teased the furiously blushing Bolin.

"I know, I know," Bolin ground out. He was just happy the two firebenders hadn't started fighting. Well, physically. They were verbally destroying each other right now. "But what was I supposed to do? They both wanted to come with me."

"Why'd you let them?" Denji murmured.

Bolin sighed, "He's my brother, and I'm in a relationship with Iroh."

"Only you Bolin. What are you doing, going around collecting firebenders?" Denji teased crossing off Bolin's name from the list, "I mean, it's not like this is the first time you got your boyfriend and brother to meet."

"Well..."

"Spirits Bolin," Denji let out a snort of laughter. "I'd almost forgotten how crazy you were. Hurry on inside before those two actually start hurting each other."

Bolin thanked the non-bender before leading the way inside, Iroh and Mako still arguing behind him. Akita was seated behind a metal table, an amused smile playing across her face as the pair approached.

"Hey there General, fancy seeing you here," Akita rose to shake Iroh's hand, "I'm glad you decided to come with Bo."

Iroh smiled back at her, "Akita, you're looking well."

"Well, pull up some chairs," Akita said pulling out her notes, "We're going to be here for a while."

It took a couple more minutes but eventually everyone was settled down at the table. Bolin made sure he sat between Mako and Iroh, just in case they started to fight again. Judging from Akita's expression, she was worried about the same thing as well.

"So, how does this work?" Bolin asked nervously.

Akita smiled at him, gesturing at the recording equipment she'd said up. "I'm going to ask, you a question, and you answer. This will record everything you say and Varrick's rigged up a mover recorder so we only need to do this once."

A warm hand wrapped itself around Bolin's shaking one. "Does he have to do this?" Mako demanded. He was worried about his little brother, the moment they'd stepped into the room Bolin had started shaking.

"He doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to," Akita was reassuring Mako, but her eyes were locked on Bolin as she spoke, "This is completely voluntary. You can stop whenever you want."

Bolin turned to Iroh, a question on his face. The general had pulled him from the camp and back into land of the living. He knew what Bolin had faced in the camp. "I'll be here the entire time," Iroh murmured. That simple promise was what Bolin needed to have the courage to start the interview.

"Alright, let's do this," Bolin mumbled, "Before I change my mind..."

Akita turned on the radio equipment, "And here we go. Please tell me your name, city of birth, and reason for arrest?"

A deep breath. He's safe here, Iroh and Mako won't let anyone touch him.

"My name is Bolin, and I was born in Republic City. I spent over a year in one of Kuvira's prison camps and it was for one simple reason. She locked me away because I asked the wrong questions."


	12. Cause Where Else Can I Turn?

"Come on Jinora, the radio show is starting!" Ikki said excitedly dragging her sister into the room where everyone was gathered together around the radio with nervous expressions. Pema and Tenzin were settled together at the head of the table next to a glowering Lin. Bumi and Kya were murmuring softly to each other about something, Ikki heard them mention the refugees several times.

Korra and Asami were sitting next to each other talking excitedly waiting for the show to start. Meelo looked upset slumped over the table, no doubt angry he'd been pulled from whatever prank he'd been planning.

"Why do I have to listen if Mako and Bolin don't?" Meelo complained.

"Mako is listening in right now with Prince Wu," Tenzin explained with a suffering expression. He'd been having this conversation with Meelon for ten minutes now.

"Besides, Bolin was interviewed for this," Bumi cut in cheerfully, "Why would he need to listen to what's already happened?"

Korra grimaced, "I wouldn't expect him to listen. A lot of the refugees I saw were in pretty bad shape. I guess most of the stories on the radio today aren't going to be happy."

"Shush! It's starting," Asami hissed as the radio show started to play.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen of Republic City!" Akita's cheerful voice came from the radio to the confusion of the people gathered in the Air Temple, "I hope you're all listening to this special radio show! We refugees understand that our words are difficult to listen to but we pray you will listen as long as you're able. So here we are, telling you our story. Coming to you live from Republic City, this is the Ba Sing Se Rose!"

Lin choked on her drink. "No way," she gasped out, "The Ba Sing Se Rose is alive? I heard she'd been killed."

"Apparently not," Tenzin murmured before Akita continued.

"This show will last for three nights as we refugees tell you our stories. And here, is our first refugee with his story."

"My name is Bolin, and I was born in Republic City. I spent over a year in one of Kuvira's prison camps and it was for one simple reason. She locked me away because I asked the wrong questions. All I did was ask about the whereabouts of a young woman who Kuvira had made disappear and for that I was sent to the camps. I spent a week crammed on a train with hundreds of refugees. We weren't given food or water, and we nearly lost the little ones to the heat. I looked after one of the children on the train, his name was Hidashi. He couldn't have been more than ten...But that doesn't matter because as soon as they took us to the camps, they took those deemed unworthy and killed them. I know this because I had to bury Hidashi in the camp."

Asami gasped in horror, hands covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Pema looked nervously towards Tenzin, "Do you think Meelo might be too young for this?" Tenzin had no response for her, but even he looked nervous.

"I was part of a team of earthbenders who dug mass graves for the bodies of those deemed unworthy to live. All children under fifteen and most of the women were killed off, along with the old and sick. I had to bury them all. Anyone who wasn't pure Earth Kingdom was in the camp. I was placed in the barracks with a group of people from all corners of the earth. They treated people like me, of mixed race, the worse. We were seen as abominations who needed to be cleansed from the world. I was forced to watch my friend's suffer for nothing more than being born. I watched a firebender lose her fingers for trying to save her father, I watched a sandbender be shot for no reason. So much death..."

The Air Temple was dead silent as they listened to Bolin's story. Tears were streaming down Asami's face as she crumpled into herself listening. Pema and the children were also crying but they just couldn't stop listening.

"My friend Fahim was killed in the camps. He was killed with nine other men because a prisoner tried to escape. That was our punishment, a failed escape led to ten dead. A success led to twenty. The commandant gathered everyone up and walked down the line choosing at random who would die. That's how we lived for a year, on the whims of a madman with a gun. But he wasn't the worst thing at the camp. No, the true monster was the doctor, Hojo."

There was a long silence as Bolin struggle to continue. It was painful to listen to, how broken down Bolin sounded while trying to tell the world about the horrors he'd faced. But somehow he managed to continue.

"Hojo wanted to understand how bending worked and he...he was ruthless when it came to finding answers. Hojo ran experiments on us while he tried to determine what exactly gave us our bending. His favorite subjects were twins, the younger the better. He would do horrible things to one of them and record what it did. And when the first twin died, he'd kill the other one and record the differences. Sometimes he'd just kill them both for the hell of it. But he had to favorite experiments that he just wouldn't kill no matter how they begged for death.

"My friend Sunki was one of them, and so was I. Hojo did things to us, he made us sick on purpose to see what would happen. The healer who checked us over after the camp said he damaged our lungs permanently with the illness. But that was just the beginning. He cut off Sunki's arm to see if she could still waterbend without it. He threw me in a freezer to see if lavabending could save me from frostbite."

The children had been taken out of the room by now. Tenzin didn't want his children to listen to the atrocities Bolin was speaking about. No one was quite sure what to do as the horrific tale continued.

"I could survive that, I was just too furious to die. Hojo wasn't done with me though. You see, he'd gotten it into his head that he could...that he could cure us. He wanted to make it so we belonged to only one nation. Hojo said he'd bring out the Fire Nation in me no matter what the cost. He tried to dye my eyes gold one day. The needle slipped though so now my right eye is ruined. I'll never be able to use it again.

"Hojo and those soldiers took everything from us," the hatred in Bolin's voice was clear to hear, "They took our families, they took our lives, our dignity and honor. But that wasn't enough for them. No, they went one step further. They took my NAME from me. It was all I had left, and they managed to take that from me as well…

"But I survived, we all did. But there are more camps in the Earth Empire, more people suffering just like we did. No one has spoken for these people since they disappeared, so now I will speak for them until they are returned home."

And that was that. Bolin's voice stopped speaking seeing how he was done for the time. A long and heavy silence fell over everyone who gathered to listen. Asami was sobbing brokenly into Korra's shoulder, the Avatar's eyes were suspiciously wet as well.

"I can't believe the kid survived that," Lin managed to murmur, her voice wooden with the horror she'd just listened to.

"It's only going to get worse," Bumi's voice was hard as he began talking, "There are two more days of this, and each one of them has their own story from the camps."

* * *

_It was nighttime in the barracks, four days after Bolin had been pulled out of the freezer and dragged back to the others. Baraz had been the one to find him lying in the snow, and the firebender had kept Bolin alive through the night. It had been...uncomfortable to say the least. The two men had decided to never speak of it again. Seriously, everyone else needed to stop talking about it._

_After that Bolin had been sent back to the experiment barack once Ahnah had been convinced he'd survive. It had nearly broken Bolin's heart. Kazuki had sobbed helplessly clinging to Bolin's waist. He'd had to be removed kicking and screaming by Hiroshi for Bolin to leave._

_Sunki had been watching over the little ones for Bolin while he'd been away and she'd greeted him at the front of the room tearfully. "They took away some of the children last night," she whispered to Bolin, keeping her voice low not to alarm the other children. Even after all their time watching over the kids, the two adults often forgot that the children watched others disappear for quite a while._

_"Who did they take?" Bolin asked her, voice low and tense._

_"Amira and Miroku."_

_That was not good. Amira was a sixteen year old firebender and Miroku was a thirteen year old waterbender. They were the oldest after Bolin and Sunki, and the two adults relied on them to watch over the littlest children. "Did Hojo say anything about where they were going? Anything at all," Bolin demanded worry creeping down his spine._

_Sunki looked nervous, the sleeve of her shirt sliding down the stump of her issuing arm. "He just said he was taking them where he took you."_

_Shit. That was not good. "He threw them in the freezer," Bolin whispered. His face was twisted with the horrors he'd faced inside. Hojo was going to give the children frostbite only because they were benders. There was no other reason for the children to suffer and it was barbaric. Bolin had always loved being a bender, he couldn't imagine not being connected to closely to the earth. The thought of not feeling the earth move and breathe with him seemed worse than death._

_But now Bolin had to wonder. Was it more of a curse for these children to be discovered as benders? Would it be safer for them to hide their bending? Bolin had already convinced Kazuki to never show the guards his bending, all firebending lessons were done inside of the barracks under the cover of night. Baraz and Akita taught the child patiently, while Bolin and Ahnah showed him other bending styles to help round out Kazuki's education._

_Bolin moved to the center of the barracks, settling down in the center of the room. A low whistle had the children gathering around him while Sunki settled gracefully by his side._

_"I know you all noticed when the guards took me away, along with Amira and Miroku," Bolin informed the nervous children. No one back home would ever believe he could act so seriously as he was in that moment where he was trying to save his children, "And I know normally we don't tell you what's happening so you don't worry, but you need to know now. The doctor is looking for benders to perform his experiments on."_

_A series of worried whispered spread throughout the ranks of children. They were all old enough to remember the equaling movement and the fear that had surrounded it. Even the youngest ones had struggled during the aftermath of the of the movement and knew the anti-bender sentiments many now held._

_"If you start to discover you can bend, there is one thing you need to do. Whatever you do, do NOT let anyone find out you are a bender," Bolin ordered, "Don't let the guards find out, or the other prisoners, or even each other. If anyone catches you bending, your life is forfeit. Do you understand?"_

_The children all agreed, their nervous voices echoing through the barracks. Bolin had expected them all to agree but he wasn't sure how many would listen to them. The worst part about having children in the camps was that they needed a server deterrent to change their behavior. Bolin hated to admit it, but someone would most likely need to die for them to understand how serious the situation was._

_The sound of creaking metal doors opening had Bolin up and moving. He threw open the door and rushed to the point where the labs met the fence for the prison camp. Two bodies were lying in the snow, face down and unmoving. Even from here Bolin could see their black skin, broken and frozen from their time in the freezers. "No," Bolin hissed kneeling down beside the bodies._

_They were the missing children, the ones who the guards had taken when Bolin had been recovering. And now they were dead. Amira's arms and legs were completely black from frostbite. The girl's eyes were frosted shut as she lay there unmoving in the snow. No doubt her ability to firebend had turned against her in the cold._

_Miroku was just as frozen, but somehow the waterbender was still breathing. He was taking shallow, gasping breaths in the snow. Gently Bolin lifted him and carried the frozen boy back into the barracks. He ignored the children's terrified cries as the sight of Miroku's blackened body, instead Bolin settled down in the back corner holding the child close._

_Shutting his eyes, Bolin tried to remember how he'd survived the cold winters of Republic City. All he could remember was being held closely by Mako. Mako's body, warm from the inner fire, blocking off the biting winter winds as he pressed Bolin towards alley walls to keep him dry and warm. Heat was what had saved them, the inner fire all firebenders possessed. Bolin needed that fire if he was going to save Miroku._

_Cradling the unconscious boy against his chest, Bolin called to the force deep inside of him that gave him his bending. Deep inside sat a well of power, a mix of fire and earth resting against his spirit. The earth, which gave Bolin his strength even against great adversity. The fire, which lit his hope during the dark days. A beacon of light that he relied upon. It was this fire that Bolin called to, letting the warmth wash over him and slowly heat his arms and hands so he could attempt to warm Miroku._

_He was focused fully in the task, there was no time to worry about anything else. He didn't care when Sunki knelt by his side in the corner. "Bolin, it isn't going to matter what you do," she whispered softly tears of regret in her voice, "He's too far gone. Miroku is going to die."_

_No. No, Bolin refused to accept that. Somehow this would work and he would save the boy. All he had to do was try hard enough._

_"Bolin..." Jade green eyes fell to the boy cradled gently in once strong eyes. Miroku was gazing back up at Bolin, his own gaze hazy with pain. When Miroku spoke, his blue lips cracked and bled sluggish precious lifeblood, "I...I'm going to die. Aren't I?"_

_"No you're not," Bolin murmured, gently brushing the boy's hair from his eyes, "You'll be fine Miroku. I'm going to save you."_

_Miroku buried his face in Bolin's chest, his eyes fluttering shut. "I don't think you can," Miroku whispered voice breaking as he began to cough harshly, "Bolin...can you do something for me?"_

_"Of course, just ask and I'll do it," Bolin promised tears in his eyes._

_"Can you sing to me one last time?" Miroku asked softly, "The dragon song?"_

_"Of course," Bolin's smile was soft as he began to sing gently. "Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Little Jackie paper loved that rascal puff, and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff. Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee..."_

_Sunki bowed her head and began to cry. It was the tears of the hopeless, a gentle quiet sob that left her shoulders shaking. But no noise left her, none would. It was the type of learned crying that all who were punished for mourning learned quickly._

_"Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail. Jackie kept a lookout perched on puffs gigantic tail. Noble kings and princes would bow whene'are they came, pirate ships would lower their flag when puff roared out his name," Bolin sang gently, rocking Miroku gently. It was the same bobbing motion a boat would make in the water, and Bolin could only hope his song would lead Miroku somewhere better, "Oh! Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee."_

_The children were gathered around them, crying softly as Bolin sang. Miroku's breaths were growing more strained as he lay limp in Bolin's eyes. His eyes fell shut, head lolling to rest against Bolin's chest as his strength left him. It was only a matter time before Miroku passed away._

_"Dragons live forever but not so little boys. Painted wings and giant's rings make way for other toys. One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more. And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar," Bolin's eyes slid shut. Gently he pressed his forehead to Miroku's, struggling not to cry, "His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain. Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave,_

_So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave."_

_Heavy silence fell over the barrack as Miroku's breath stuttered to a halt. Bolin's voice stopped the moment Miroku passed away, his shoulder shuddering with broken sobs as he clutched the corpse close to him. Sunki let out a cry, burying her face in Bolin's shoulder, her remaining hand clinging to his shirt sleeve._

_Bolin raised his head slowly, eyes red from the tears. "Oh! Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee," Miroku asked for this song and Bolin would do everything in his power to finish it. His voice cracked over the words, but somehow Bolin managed to keep singing. "Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea._

_And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee..."_

_Bolin bowed over the corpse, sobbing brokenly over Miroku. He was too young to die. Too damn young to have been frozen to death by a madman._

* * *

Bolin woke up with a scream in the back of his throat, thrashing in the blankets. The earth was ready to go at his fingertips, ready to defend against all threats. But somehow Bolin managed to catch himself before he destroyed the room with earth. Or even worse, call the lava to his aid.

Something though had managed to catch his attention.

Maybe it was a comforting smell, or the warmth of the blankets. It could have come from the strange decorations that were half familiar around the room. But Bolin would bet that the warm body curled against his side had been the reason he hadn't trashed the room.

Powerful arms wrapped their way around Bolin's waist, pulling him back towards the comforting presence that had calmed him from his nightmares. Powerful hands that were toughened with blisters from hard work were deceptively gentle as they carded through Bolin's hair.

"Bolin, are you alright?" Iroh asked softly.

"I'm fine," Bolin mumbled pressing close to the comforting presence Iroh always gave off. Bolin would have given anything to just rest in hair arms until the end of days.

"Nightmares?"

"No...memories." Memories of a thirteen year old boy's dead gaze and frozen body. Memories of terrified children having to find their comfort in a children's song. Of the men and women sobbing brokenly as they were forced to bury the dead in mass graves where they were would be forgotten by the rest of the world.

Iroh didn't sigh when he watched Bolin fall into his dark memories. He understood it all to well, the pain that came from readjusting to normal life. Carefully Iroh reached out, cupping Bolin's cheek and tugging him back in close. "You're safe here," Iroh mumbled pressing reassuring kisses to Bolin's mouth, "You made it out of there, as did your friends, and Kazuki. You're all safe from Kuvira's reach."

"But there are so many who aren't," Bolin whimpered softly. "There are still so many who died."

"Don't think like that. You'll drive yourself insane," Iroh said sternly. He then offered Bolin a kinder smile, "Instead think about the ones who you saved, the ones who are now starting to live again. Think about Kazuki and how much he adores you."

Iroh then pressed Bolin back down into the bunk, a smug smile on his face. "Think about me, and how much I love you."

Bolin couldn't stop the bright laugh from bursting forth. It was true laughter that he hadn't felt in quite some time. The feeling made him feel warm and light as he gazed adoringly up at Iroh. "You're rather good at this," Bolin teased, a wicked grin crossing his face, "Kazuki's being watched by Baraz and Ahnah tonight..."

"Why are they watching him anyways?" Iroh asked letting Bolin pull him down.

Bolin's smile grew even brighter. "She wanted to watch Kazuki so they could get some practice," Bolin informed Iroh smugly as they both fell happily into the bunk together.

"No...she's..."

"Three months along," Bolin said excitedly. It took Iroh a long minute to think about it before he began laughing in delight at the news. The two fell together one more time that night, safe and content in the warm bunk on the Aurora.

Because this was truly great news. The refugees were healing, and soon the next generation would be joining them. Kuvira had tried. But she hadn't managed to kill them off.


	13. I Will Walk Through the Fire and Let It

"My name is Hiroshi and I am originally from Gaoling. I was arrested for trying to smuggle out firebenders from the city when the Earth Empire came for me. My wife is still there along with my children..."

"They took me from my home because I'm water tribe...that was the only reason. I can't bend, not even a little, but they didn't care. They took one look at my skin and said it was too dark. Who throws people into camps because of the color of their skin?"

"My name is Sunki, and I came from Omashu. My entire family was arrested and we were removed from each other. They're in a camp somewhere else in the Earth Kingdom, and I was sent to camp 7. I was experimented on, along with Bolin. He...he saved us all you know. If he hadn't been there, I would have died when Hojo cut off my arm."

"The doctor killed my sister for some reason. We were both experiments and he wanted to test a twin bond, or something similar to that. He killed her and wanted to see if it affected me. It did, because my sister is dead, but not the way he wanted. He moved on to the other kids after us."

"I was originally born in the Fire Nation, my birth mother was a noble girl who got pregnant and fifteen and put me up for adoption. I was adopted by a very influential noble family in Ba Sing Se, they were the ones who named me Akita. It was to remind me of where I came from. I became a radio star because I wanted to make a difference, but I only ended up in the camps when I criticized Kuvira. They would cut off a finger when I tried to firebend. But they nearly destroyed me when they killed my father..."

"I was the only healer we had. It was hard, there were days when I was just too slow and couldn't save any of the patients in the hospital. But every time I'd give up hope Baraz would be there telling me how much I meant to him. We were married in the camps, somehow I got Bolin to marry us. It was one of the best days of my life and it happened inside of the camp. But there was one memory that finally beat it. On the rescue ship I...I found out I'm pregnant."

"One day a prisoner escaped, and they lines us up and decided to make us pay. Ten shots for an escape attempt. He...he killed ten of us because of an escape attempt! Who does that?"

"There really wasn't anyone who we could turn to originally. We were all lost and confused in the camps, the constant fear kept us quiet. But then the trains came and they brought us hope. He used to fight for Kuvira, but turned his back on her for us. He cared about us, bled for us. He saved us all."

"Bolin taught us all sign language so we could plan on how to get out. It was a good way so none of us would ever be caught going against the commandant. Bolin planned out the entire escape plan for the camp, he was the one who led our revolt before the army came."

"Now, normally I don't much care about how my inventions affect others but this time I did. And do you see what it got me? Locked away in a prison camp, betrayed by Zhu Li! But it was a good thing I was in the camp when I was. After being forced to be an assistant to that quack Hojo I started helping out the experiments whenever I could. Sneak them painkillers, make them a little more comfortable, small stuff that they would be allowed to have. I couldn't save most of them, and I couldn't save Sunki or Bolin no matter how I tried. But I did manage to steal Hojo's research notes so the world can see what he did!"

"They killed Fahim and Fatma and didn't even care. I can't understand how they couldn't care, how they didn't see us as human. It was worse because I was a firebender, even though I was born and raised inside the Earth Kingdom. Hell even my name, Baraz, is an Earth Kingdom name. And I was thrown in the camps because I could firebend."

"They'd call people like us halfbreeds for being mixed race. All of us were seen as inhuman. We were less than vermin, lower even than the dirt under their boots. Subhuman, because I come from a mixed race family. How are they not considered the monsters here?"

"I...my name's Kazuki and I'm ten. The guards killed my entire family cause we're Fire Nation, my mom and dad, along with my little brother. I was the only one left alive, and it was because I lied about how old I was. I made myself more valuable to them, so they kept me around. I had a better time than most in the camps because I was protected by someone. His name is Bolin, and he's going to be taking care of me now. He's my new dad."

"They came into the great desert and started rounding up the sandbenders. They were the first to go into the camps for some reason. Kuvira wanted to eradicate them from the world. No telling when she goes after the swamp tribes."

"Everyone is dead...they're all gone! My entire village wiped from the face of the earth my these people! I couldn't even give them a proper burial, they're just lying frozen in some pit."

"The guards would lead the undesirables to the gas chambers where they'd be killed. They always lied and said it was the showers. Whenever we had to shower we were always so afraid, we didn't know if it was a real shower or the gas. Once they were dead, there were two options. Either the body was thrown into a mass grave, or it was throw into the ovens where it was burned..."

"There are words over the front of the camp. They read 'Work Sets You Free.' They were a lie, the work was what kept us enslaved in the camps. They'd force us to work in factories until we would drop from exhaustion. And if you couldn't keep up with the work they would shoot you."

"We had given up hope when the plan started to come together. He helped us the entire time, brought hope back it our lives before leading us out of the nightmare. Bolin started a revolution to save us all even though he knew if we failed he'd be killed. But somehow he managed to pull it off."

"I miss my mommy, the guards took her far away and I can't find her anymore..."

"They killed my son. He was only a baby, barely two years old, and they shot him in my arms because he wasn't useful to their cause..."

"I'm the only one left from my entire family..."

"My village is dead..."

"Why did no one come?"

For three days the radios played non-stop. The stories of the survivors were spread out into the world. People of all nations heard their heartbreaking stories and awareness of Kuvira's actions spread out across the world. Whispers about missing family members continued to spread, the worries of Kuvira coming for them next continued to grow.

The refugees spent their time gathered together in the warehouses. They clung to each other, tears in their eyes as the painful memories pushed through their minds. By being forced to remember and tell the world, the memories were in full swing.

Sitting in Iroh's bunk on the Aurora, Bolin held Kazuki close. The boy was crying brokenly in Bolin's arms, sobbing desperately for his family. Not the new family he had now, but his old one. His Momma and Papa, his big brother and little sister, were the ones he cried for.

The sound of the door opening brought Bolin's head up. A tired smile crossed his face when Iroh entered the room, shutting the door behind him. "How's he doing?" Iroh asked softly sitting on the bed next to Bolin, his worried eyes on Kazuki.

"Cried himself to sleep. Talking about it reminded him how much he missed his family," Bolin said weakly leaning against Iroh's side, snuggling close into the general's side. "How was the meeting with your mother?"

Iroh let out a pained groan, "She informed me that I will be escorting you and Kazuki to meet her Tomorrow for a family meeting."

Bolin frowned, Iroh did not sound happy about the whole meeting thing. "Is there something wrong with meeting your mother?" Bolin asked softly.

"No, meeting my mother is fine," Iroh sighed before pulling Bolin in close for a quick kiss, "Meeting the Fire Lord is a whole different problem."

"How about this, after finishing meeting your family I introduce you and Kazuki to the rest of mind?" Bolin asked brightly snuggling in close. "Then our relationship will be all official."

"That sounds good. I would love that."


	14. The Cold Out There is Scorching Me

The Fire Nation embassy in Republic City was an intimidating building. The red and black mansion proudly bore the royal symbol over the front door, lined with trees and bushes. It was a very powerful looking building, covered with sweeping roofs and golden dragons. The building was well regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in Republic City, especially the famed royal gardens hidden inside the complex.

Bolin could not help but admit that the building was the second most terrifying building he had ever seen. It didn't invoke the deep searing terror that came from the camps. No, this was a quieter fear that crept slowly down Bolin's back. This was scary because he was going to be meeting Iroh's family for the first time. Not officially, like he had in the meetings with Izumi, but as Iroh's current partner.

Which was why Bolin was standing there looking completely out of place. He wore the best outfit he owned, but it was still probably incredibly poor compared to what the Fire Nation royalty would be wearing. Kazuki looked just as uncomfortable in the formal clothing Bolin had wrestled him into before they headed over here.

"I don't see why I have to look nice," Kazuki complained as Bolin led him into the mansion. The young firebender was not happy about having to comb his hair and be polite, "I mean, I'm not going to be marrying the General so I don't have to impress the Fire Lord!"

"That's true, but you are my son and if Iroh and I get married, you'll be his stepson," Bolin pointed out reasonably tugging the grumpy boy close, "Look, I understand it sucks to be on your best behavior. We just need to get through lunch before we go to see my family."

"Do I have to be polite to them too?"

"I expect you to be polite to everyone you meet," Bolin pointed out giving Kazuki a loaded look, "Unless they really don't deserve it. Then you break their noses."

Raising a kid was a lot harder than Bolin expected really. He wasn't sure how Mako had managed to do it for years with him, especially without any help. Because Bolin had help, and it was walking towards him with an adoring smile on his face. Bolin couldn't stop the gentle smile to cross his face as Iroh approached him, dressed in his official dress uniform.

He could never understand how Iroh always looked so perfect. But he managed every single time. "I'm glad you both could make it," Iroh murmured, pulling Bolin in for a quick kiss before leading the two deeper into the compound.

Kazuki though did not look happy when passing by the expensive paintings that lined the walls. "Why couldn't your mom come meet us at the island?" Kazuki asked Iroh, a serious frown on his young face.

"It's expected for the Fire Lord to meet foreign guests in the embassy," Iroh explained while leading them into an outer garden.

Bolin leaned closer into Iroh, while keeping Kazuki close. "So what should we expect from your family?" he asked with a worried expression as they moved closer towards the inner garden. Family had always been quite important for Bolin, growing up without one had made it even more important to the lavabender. His time in the camps had made family even more precious. Watching the families slowly be destroyed by the Earth Empire had damaged part of him. Being accepted by Iroh's family was something Bolin wanted...no, needed to have happen.

Iroh though did not look as excited by the thought. "They're...rather intense," Iroh admitted catching Bolin ad Kazuki's attention, "My father will not be meeting us, he's needed in the Fire Nation for now.

"So who will we be meeting?" Kazuki asked brightly. He'd never met a whole Royal family before.

"Well, my mother for certain," Iroh gently tugged Kazuki back in when the boy got a little too close to a priceless vase, "And my siblings no doubt. I have three siblings, all older than me. I have no idea which ones will be showing up though."

Bolin nudged him gently, "Why don't you warn us about who we would end up facing?"

"My oldest sister Ursa is the crown princess, and I have no doubt that she will be attending as well. I doubt my sister Natsuki will come, she's often busy traveling the world. I doubt she'd come back for that. And then there is my brother, second for the throne, Lu Ten. He's...well, I am sure you'll see for yourself soon enough."

Bolin just chuckled a little at Iroh's pained expression. It was only fair to deal with the crazy of the royal family, especially when Iroh had been dealing with Mako for the past week. And Mako still didn't approve of their relationship.

During the various meetings with world leaders, Bolin did not find the Fire Lord to be an intimidating person. After dealing with the commandant every day, Bolin found Lady Izumi to be a rational person whose opinion he valued. Especially when she was working with him to bring aid to the refugees Bolin found her company enjoyable.

It was a different matter though to see her seated calmly at a table in the middle of the inner gardens dressed in her fine silk robes. Bolin had never thought anyone could look half as terrifying while sitting behind a delicate tea set, but Izumi managed to pull it off. It was a skill that Bolin could respect. Seated next to her was a younger woman, who appeared a little older than Iroh, who Bolin guessed was Ursa. Every inch of her was dressed to perfection in embroidered red robes, her expression blank as she regarded the trio approaching the table.

"Seems that Natsuki decided not to come," Iroh murmured leading the way to the table. A frown crossed his face as he noticed someone was missing, "I'm not sure where my brother is though..."

"Iroh!" A great booming voice echoed across the gardens causing Bolin to freeze. Kazuki turned terrified eyes to Bolin, both preparing for whatever had been yelling. Instead of some threat coming towards them, Bolin was treated to the rather humorous sight of Iroh being pulled into a massive bear hug before their eyes.

"I'm guessing that's their brother?" Kazuki whispered tugging on Bolin's sleeve.

Bolin flinched a little when the giant man turned to them with a blinding grin on his face. "And this must be my new little brother and nephew!" The man announced pulling Bolin and Kazuki in for their own crushing bear hug. This was certainly unexpected.

"Lu Ten!" Izumi sounded exasperated at the display, "Put them down!"

Lu Ten placed them back on the ground, still cackling like mad before he moved back to the table. "You're brother is crazy," Kazuki whispered to Iroh as they joined the royal family at the table.

It went...a lot better than Iroh was expecting. Bolin was getting along amazingly with Iroh's family without trying. Simple conversation flowed between Bolin and the women of Iroh's family while the General supervised Kazuki's interactions with Lu Ten. The youngest firebender at the table looked delighted at Lu Ten's storied of wrestling with a platypus bear, a wicked smile crossing the child's face when Lu Ten pulled up his shirt to proudly show off his scars.

Iroh could only hope Kazuki did not take after his older brother. Oh, Iroh cared for Lu Ten there was never a question about that. Their personalities were just too different. Iroh was the more serious quiet one who enjoyed reading a good book, Lu Ten was more boisterous and outgoing. The personality clash had led to more fights in their childhood than Iroh would ever admit too. Out of all his siblings he got along with Ursa best, and seeing her getting a,one with Bolin was wonderful.

"Were you very young when you had your son?" Ursa asked Bolin during a lull in the conversation.

Kazuki frowned at her question. "Bolin's not my real dad," he pointed out indignantly.

Izumi was wearing an expression that Iroh and his siblings had learned meant trouble during their childhood, "If Bolin isn't your father, where are your parents Kazuki?"

Kazuki fell silent at the Fire Lord's question. His eyes fell to the table quickly while the child fidgeted nervously, obviously uncomfortable with answering the question. Iroh reached out under the table, taking Bolin's hand in his. It was a quiet sign of support for Bolin who decided to answer the question.

"Kazuki's parents were killed by the Earth Empire," Bolin admitted softly, "He is one of the refugees."

Iroh understood why his family didn't realize that Kazuki was a refugee. The only physical sign of his imprisonment had been his malnutrition, but the month in Republic City had fixed that. Now Kazuki looked as healthy and carefree as any child. Unlike Bolin whose eyepatch was always going to signify his suffering in the camps, or Sunki's missing arm and Akita's missing fingers.

And of course Lu Ten was the first to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the table. "So Iroh," the teasing tone was apparent in Lu Ten's voice. Iroh's eyes narrowed, nothing good ever came from that tone of voice. "Why haven't you married Bolin yet?"

He did not go there.

Bolin squeezed Iroh's hand to keep him from hurting Lu Ten. It was made even worse by Kazuki who innocently asked, "I thought you two were already married." Bolin had to admit, his kid was a terror. It was usually great, just not when Bolin was the target of his mischief.

Izumi's eyes narrowed, a dangerous expression on her stern face. "I certainly hope you haven't gotten married without informing me," the threat was clear in her voice.

"We're not married yet mother," Iroh ground out, holding Bolin's hand tight even as he refused to meet Bolin's eyes. It was the yet in the sentence that had Iroh so nervous. They hadn't been a couple for long, but one day soon Iroh hoped they would be able to marry.

"I think it would be wonderful if you two got married," Ursa said happily, sending her youngest brother a wicked smile, "Not to mention Bolin has a son. It would get mother off the whole issue of grandchildren rather quickly."

Iroh's protests were lost in the sound of Bolin's delighted laughter as the lunch continued in the same happy pattern. Iroh counted it as a win that his mother didn't threaten to disown any of them while also approving of Bolin and Kazuki. Iroh couldn't ask for more.

Except for Lu Ten to stop giving Kazuki terrible ideas.

"_What's the one thing you've always wanted to do?" Akita asked as they all curled up against each other in the barracks. Bolin was holding Kazuki and Sunki close as they pressed against the others. They still felt the loss of Fahim deeply but there was nothing they could do for it. He was gone and they couldn't get him back._

_Sunki let out a heavy sigh. "I always wanted to see the Northern Water Tribe," she admitted, "My family came from there, but I was born in Omashu. It must be amazing." It was, but Bolin didn't want to say anything. He'd rather Sunki continue to dream of the place._

_"I want to eat my weight in ice cream," Kazuki said brightly and it was such a sweet childlike dream Bolin couldn't help but laugh along with the others. It was a comfort to hear Kazuki still had some dreams all normal children had, even when locked inside of the camps with them._

_Varrick let out a tired groan, exhausted from his work for Hojo in the labs. "I always wanted to teach a class," he announced proudly which caught everyone's attention._

_"Why?" Hiroshi demanded. It was no secret Varrick hated most children, not to mention he was terrible when it came to dealing with them._

_"Because I would get laid to talk about myself!" Of course that's what he wanted._

_Akita snorted before muttering, "I...I wanted to tell my parents I'm a lesbian. I hadn't told them when we were thrown in the camps. First thing I'm going to do when we get out is tell my mom."_

_"I always wanted to show my wife the secret tunnel," Hiroshi admitted before growling as everyone teased him for being mushy._

_Bolin thought about it for a long while before answering. "I want to ask my grandma about my mom," he admitted before explained once the others began demanding for more details, "Alright, so you all know my parents died when I was young and my brother raised me. He always told me I had our mom's smile, and I want to ask my grandma if that's true."_

_Ahnah suddenly began talking, "I always wanted to get married." Bolin would always treasure watching Baraz start choking on nothing before turning to Ahnah with panic in his eyes._

_"Why...why would you want that?" He asked nervously. Bolin rolled his eyes but it was Varrick who decided to answer. "Oh come on, we all know you two are together," the eccentric billionaire grumbled._

_"We've known for months," Bolin deadpanned causing the couple to start blushing._

_Sunki perked up. "Why don't you two get married?" She asked happily._

_Baraz and Ahnah looked confused. "You can't get married in the camps," Ahnah pointed out._

_"Not true, you just have to exchange vows in front of witnesses," Hiroshi explained with a smug smile, "Most small villages are too poor for the paperwork, so vows are all they get."_

_"So let's do this!" Bolin said happily, "We can get the whole camp in on it! Spread the word, do it at night when the guards are asleep. You guys just need to find someone to officiate and it will be perfect."_

_Akita began to cackle madly. "Let's do this!" She said brightly._

_The next two days were spent getting the camp ready for the wedding. It was easy to get around the guards, honestly they were moving closer and closer to the day Bolin planned to revolt. It could actually happen if they kept this united. There was no possibility for a wedding feast seeing how the guards had stopped feeding them earlier that week. But somehow they managed to gather together enough scraps of cloth to sew Ahnah a beautiful wedding dress._

_That evening the people of the camp gathered together, chattering excitedly before the wedding started. They didn't have the official, or the paperwork to make it count in the government's eyes. But the people all knew the official words for the wedding chants which were performed when the bride would enter the temple._

_Instead the people of the camps formed two lines to perform the chant as a blushing Ahnah walked to the boxes they'd stacked together for an altar. "Let's all give out a cheer cause the bride is getting married today! Hurray!" Hiroshi's great voice could be heard booming out across the mass, "One thing you can surely say is we will stand beside Until the end, we will defend our one and only bride. Our bride to be, our bride to be, our lovely bride!"_

_Bolin pulled a delighted Kazuki onto his shoulders so the little boy could watch as Ahnah continued her walk. Her eyes were locked on Baraz who stood in front of the altar with a nervous expression on his face as she came to stand next to them. The prisoner who stood with them had been chosen to be their speaker, and his voice echoed over the suddenly silent prisoners. "We are gathered here today to see this man marry this woman. I ask you now, who will be asked to lead you as you deliver your vows?"_

_The pair didn't even think about the answer, immediately they both announced, "Bolin."_

_The man in question just looked stunned at the news, his eyes wide as he was pushed to the front of the crowd. The crowd staring back at him looked delighted, but all Bolin cared about was the expression of pure love Ahnah and Baraz were sharing._

_"We all stand here today because of factors outside of our control. We have seen constant death, seen pain and suffering. We have all lost something in these camps," confused murmurs followed his pronouncement. Most wedding vows were happy affairs, so what was Bolin doing? "I can admit there have been days when I felt like all hope was lost. But when I see the love between Ahnah and Baraz, I realize there is still good in this world and it gives me hope. And I hope their love can be a light to shine in this darkness, for all of us. So I ask you both one question: do you take this person as your spouse, until death parts you?"_

_Again, there was no hesitation when they both announced "I do" with such solid resolution Bolin couldn't stop the wild grin from spreading across his face._

_"Then I now pronounce you both as married!" Bolin called out, finishing with the traditional ending to a wedding, "We're going to have a party like no-one has ever seen. The Living in the land above will not know where they've been!"_

_Baraz pulled Ahnah in for a kiss, before offering her his arm. The pair walked back down their path, smiling happily at each other as the people cheered happily around them. "Here comes the bride! On her glorious day of days! Up to the Land of the Living to celebrate!" Bolin smiled happily watching as the party kicked off into full swing. Someone had smuggled in a record player, so easy going swing music began to play._

_Bolin could only watch as the prisoners began to dance. They all mixed, laughing and smiling for once, spinning and swinging around like giddy children. Ahnah and Baraz were in the middle of the mad dance, both lost on each other's eyes as they danced. Even Kazuki was dancing with a little girl from the experiments named Mei, it was one of the cutest things Bolin had ever seen._

_A nudge against his shoulder caught Bolin's attention. He met Akita's amused expression. "You just going to watch?" She teased, "Or are you going to dance too?"_

_"I could manage," Bolin said happily before pulling a madly laughing Akita into a wild dance to the delighted cheers of the other prisoners. It was a wonderful night, all of them smiling and spinning under the full moon. Bolin laughed so hard he cried, and wished he could remain this happy forever._

_But sadly, the next dawn would take any of the remaining joy from the wedding and destroy it._

Asami's family house was just as magnificent as Bolin remembered from his previous visits. It was a good feeling to see something had remained the same as his memories portrayed. It was lucky though that his family got to stay there as they readjusted to life in Republic City. Bolin wasn't sure what to say to Asami to thank her for everything she'd done.

"This is where your family lives?" Iroh asked scepticism clear in his voice as he stared up at the mansion. Bolin wasn't surprised by Iroh's tone, the prince had learned that Bolin and Mako's family was poor. So why would they be living in a mansion.

"No, they're originally from Ba Sing Se," Bolin admitted checking over Kazuki's clothing for any tears. The boy had been wrestling with Lu Ten much to Iroh's displeasure and had gotten rather dirty. Bolin had used his bending to remove as much of the dirt as possible but some still remained. "Asami's letting them stay here for now. Kazuki, stand still you have mud on your face!"

Kazuki squirmed out of Bolin's grip with a betrayed expression as the door opened. Bolin straightened up, keeping a reassuring hand on Kazuki's shoulder while leaning closer to Iroh. A bright smile crossed his face as he met his older brother's unamused face.

"Mako, I didn't know you were here today," Bolin said happily pulling Mako in for a quick hug. His brother held him close for a long minute before pulling back from the embrace to give Bolin a quick look over before offering a small smile.

"The prince is still here," Mako explained, the smile disappearing from his face when he noticed Iroh standing there next to his little brother. "What is he doing here though."

Bolin rolled his eye, "I'm introducing Iroh and Kazuki to grandma. I told you this a while ago Mako." With that Bolin led Iroh and Kazuki into the house with an easy grin while Mako followed behind with a scowl. The inside was just as grand as Bolin remembered it to be, and judging from Kazuki's delighted gasp the child was just as delighted by the splendor around him.

It was easy to find the rest of the family, according to Mako their grandmother was fussing over Wu who was training. "Seriously, he's training?" Bolin demanded a laugh clear in his voice.

"That's a word for it," Mako grumbled darkly after explaining about his so-called training sessions with the royal.

A warm taking his own caught Bolin's attention, drawing his gaze back to a slightly smiling Iroh. "I believe training would be good for the young prince," Iroh said mildly and Bolin knew him well enough to spot trouble in the tone, "According to my mother, learning to fight builds character necessary for leaders. No my grandfather is convinced that my brother got too much of this character from it."

Bolin dissolved into bright peals of laughter at that comment. Somehow he managed to calm down enough to appear presentable when he entered the room where his family was waiting. It would have been humorous if Bolin hadn't been so nervous he was afraid he would puke. Wu was lying on the ground moaning about how much pain he was in while Tu watched. And there was his grandma fussing over the downed prince.

"Grandma, there's someone here to see you," Mako called out getting everyone's attention in the room. Bolin stumbled forward, pulling his grandmother in for a hug as tears stung his eyes. He had believed he would never see his family again, and here they were standing directly before him.

Pulling back from the hug, grandmother smiled gently up at him. "Oh Bolin, you look so old now," she said gently before a worried expression crossed her face, "But what happened to your eye?"

That question always came up when people saw his face. And each time Bolin would freeze as the memories crashed over him once again. "It's...it's not important grandma," Bolin said weakly a shaky smile crossing his face, "I came to introduce you to someone."

Bolin waved for Kazuki to approached, gently drawing the boy into a hug. "Grandma, Tu, I'd like to introduce you to Kazuki," Bolin took in a shaky breath, "My son."

A stunned moment of silence met them before grandmother let out a delighted cry and pulled a stunned Kazuki in for a hug. "My first great grandchild," she said delightedly before rounding on Tu and Mako, "Why haven't either of you given me a great grandchild? Bolin managed!" Which of course caused the two to shift nervously.

Luckily Bolin was there to save them. "There's someone else grandma," he held out his hand for Iroh to take, standing tall and proud before his family with his son and partner. Giving Iroh a besotted smile Bolin announced, "This is my partner, General Iroh. Iroh, this is my grandmother."

Tu choked on his drink at the announcement, while Mako began to glare once again at Iroh. But Bolin didn't care about that because his expression was stuck on Iroh who stepped forward to smile at Bolin's grandmother.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bolin had spoken highly of you often," Iroh reached out and gently placed a kiss on the back of her hand with a regal bow. Bolin was so ridiculously in love with him, it wasn't even funny.

"A general and a child!" Grandmother laughed happily, "My Bolin, you have been busy while you were away!"

Iroh offered her his arm, "I wished to speak with you as the head of your clan."

"Oh? What do you need young many?"

"I wished to speak with you about setting up a marriage contract." Iroh said calmly, even when Mako let out a snarl. Kazuki looked delighted by the news, which Bolin had expected seeing how the boy had been pushing him towards Iroh for quite a while. It almost made up for Mako's heavy disapproval of the idea.

"Of course dear!" Luckily grandmother seemed just as excited about the idea as Bolin, so the marriage would no doubt happen, "Why don't we settle everything over dinner tonight?"

"That sounds wonderful," Iroh murmured following her from the room.

Mako's eyes narrowed. "Like hell it does," he snarled before following after them, no doubt trying to find a way to convince grandma to refuse.

"Bolin?" Kazuki asked softly once Mako was gone, "Why did you call Iroh a general?"

Bolin raised an eyebrow. "Because he is a general," he deadpanned.

"But he's also a princes!" Kazuki pointed out, "Why not say that?"

"Because that's not what Iroh would want me to say," Bolin explained gently, "He didn't ask to be a prince, he was just born as one. But Iroh worked hard to be a general. He started as a foot soldier and worked his way up to where he is now. He earned being a general, while prince is just a title given to him. And Iroh is the type of man who only wishes to take credit for things he has earned with his own merit. Understand?"

"He doesn't like being a prince because he didn't earn it. But he earned being a general so that's how he wants to be seen," Kazuki said slowly, the slow realization breaking across him with a slow smile, "I want to be like that! Remembered only for things I earned.

Bolin pulled Kazuki in for a hug. "I have no doubt you will be remembered for your great deeds," Bolin said softly, the pride of a parent clear in his voice, "And I know you'll perform many and be a great man soon enough. How about for now we watch Mako and Iroh try to kill each other?"


	15. I Keep Going to the River to Pray

_The camp woke up slowly, stirring from the peace of sleep as they began to go about their day. Many stumbled their way to the factories while snow fell lightly down upon their thinly clad backs. Everyone was at work today, even the few firebenders who worked the ovens were busy with an influx of bodies to deal with. There was a new shipment of prisoners for them to deal with later on in the day, and they had been informed that the gas chambers would be working. Soon enough heavy black ash would be joining the snow. _

_Bolin was seated against the side of the barrack watching the children play in the slush (they were the only children in the camps, no one knew where the others went). Kazuki had joined the experiment children and they were happily involved in a snow ball fight. Well, less snowballs and more of throwing slush on each other. Sunki was seated next to him, watching them wearing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She hadn't been the same since losing her arm, and with it the loss of her bending. Bolin didn't believe she would ever return to normal. _

_It seemed like a peaceful day for them. That was when the screaming started._

_Bolin jumped to his feet turning to Sunki with worried eyes. "Hide the kids," he ordered running to the fence, "Quickly!" _

_"Come on little ones!" Sunki whispered herding the terrified children inside the barracks while Bolin forced his way through the small hole in the gate. He joined the other prisoners who could only watch in horror as the guards stalked towards the medical labs. They were dragging one of the prisoners with them, each pulling the struggling form deeper into the camp. Bolin's eyes widened when he noticed they were dragging Akita between them, sending him running up to the guards with a worried expression on his face._

_"Where are you taking her?" He demanded, voice carrying a command that forced the guards to come to a stop. Akita continued to struggle, sending Bolin desperate looks between the guards. "She's done nothing wrong, release her." _

_The guards shifted nervously, trading confused looks. No prisoner had ever spoken against them, let alone ordered them around. And now this thin boy stood before them with enough presence to make them pause. "Doctor's orders, we're to bring her in for treatment," one guard managed to stutter out. _

_Bolin's eyes narrowed, "Treatment for what?" _

_"Her homosexuality." _

_The entire camp fell silent at that piece of news reached them. Low murmurs began to spread through the camp as the prisoners traded confused looks. Bolin's friends looked furious as they stood on the side lines, smart enough not to get involved. They all knew they were here for not being Earth Kingdom. They had been discriminated against for being Water and Fire, treated as second class citizens and forced into ghettos under Kuvira. Those who were mixed race were treated even worse, not accepted fully by either culture. That was why they were here, that was the crime they had committed. _

_But being homosexual was just as bad as being from the wrong nation? When had that happened? At least you could see the differences between nations, but no one could see a person's sexuality. What would they be punished for next, the prisoners wondered, what else could make them wrong._

_"Treating homosexuality?" Bolin hissed voice low and deadly, "You can't treat it! It's something a person is born with! Release her now!"_

_The guard shook his head in denial, "We need to bring a homosexual to the doctor to study." _

_It would be so easy to turn his back on the whole situation. Hadn't Bolin suffered enough in the camp, why should he take on another burden? It had been bad enough in Republic City. There had been rumors of Bolin's sexuality that flowed around the city for years, and it had gotten especially out of hand when dealing with the triads. The whole mess had been part of why Bolin had only looked at women, even when he found a man to be equally attractive. Bolin and Mako had kept it quiet for years, not even Korra and Asami knew. _

_But looking at Akita curled up broken on the ground, Bolin knew why he had to do this. He could take the torture and the pain. But Akita couldn't, she's break like fragile glass under Hojo's scalpel. _

_"Them today's your lucky day, you'll take me in her stead," Bolin said coldly meeting the guards eyes, ignoring the terrified gasps of the other prisoners. "That way Hojo will get his homosexual, and have less prep work to do."_

_The guards traded nervous looks before seeming to come to a decision. They dropped Akita to the ground, ignoring her when she fell into a muddy puddle as they advanced on Bolin. He didn't resist as the guards grabbed him forcibly, instead he moved with them without so much as a struggle. Bolin was only grateful that Kazuki wasn't present to witness this, he didn't want the boy to watch him give up. _

Bolin was swamped with work in the warehouses as more and more problems continued to appear. Somehow they had managed to treat most of the malnutrition the once-prisoners had suffered under which Bolin was grateful for. He could only feel relief when he noticed that Kazuki's cheekbones were no longer painfully prominent, or that he could no longer wrap his hand all the way around Ahnah's arm.

But while they weren't starving, they were still hungry. The hundreds of refugees in the camps relied on the military and aid for food. There was only so much food that could go around, and to make it last they had been eating soups for the last couple of weeks. The air nomads did what they could, but even their help didn't help sate the prisoners hunger.

Another issue that had arisen was the problem of hygiene in the warehouses. There was. O great plumbing system to remove the waste, so contaminated water was a major concern for everyone struggling to survive. The waterbenders did what they could, but there were more people than they could help as well. That was ignoring the lack of heating or cooling present in the warehouses. It had been fine during the spring, the weather mild enough to be comfortable. But as it slowly crept towards winter the days became hotter and muggier, it was already getting uncomfortable inside. "Reminds me of the train cars on the way to the camps," Hiroshi had admitted grimly when telling Bolin about the problems.

He didn't like it, but the truth was becoming more apparent with each passing day. They had left Kuvira's camp and been placed in another concentration camp. Varrick was nervous about the possibility of a cholera outbreak soon, a problem everyone was used to after camp life. The lack of food, the extreme temperatures, and harsh living conditions had remained the same even after their so-called "liberation." They had been promised a new life once in Republic City, instead they were still struggling to survive.

Resentment was growing in the survivors towards the cities citizens. So many of them supported Kuvira, and those who didn't tended to see the survivors as liars. There was no way any human being could act so cruel to others, they said, obviously you are making this up! The issue of discrimination due to nation rose once again. Bolin had been stunned into silence when he had been refused service from a store owned by a Water Tribe member due to being of Earth Kingdom descent. And he wasn't the only one. All of the survivors had at least one story just like his and it made their dislike of Republic City grow.

Something had to give, and soon.

That was the reason Bolin had moved out of his rooms in Air Temple Island and in with Iroh on the Aurora. Sunki was now staying with Kazuki on the island because Bolin did not want his son anywhere near these conditions and also for the hope that Kaya could help Sunki's bending. The move placed Bolin next to the warehouses so he could work with the former prisoners every day, and it allowed him to coordinate with the militar. Everyone teased Bolin had moved in to share a bed with Iroh(except Mako who still disapproved) but they didn't know that both the general and lava bender were so exhausted from trying to help the prisoners that they would fall asleep in seconds before getting up early to do it again.

It was hard, much harder than anyone had expected.

"This place is a hellhole," Baraz grumbled following Bolin towards the medical wing where Varrick had been working around the clock.

The crazy inventor had called a meeting so the leaders had decided to meet with him there instead of removing him from his patients. "It's the only place we've got," Bolin reminded the angry firebender. It was not a defense for their temporary home, Bolin was more than aware of how terrible the relocation camp (as it was now called) was. There must wasn't anything he could do to make it better.

Baraz snorted, "It's a camp, same as where we were before."

Bolin couldn't prevent the wry look he gave the other man for that comment, "Except for the fact that no one is being murdered here."

"Not yet at least, but pretty soon it will happen," Baraz ground out, his voice heavy with the dark prediction, "Just you wait, first there will be an armed guard around us. Then they'lol start making the sick and injured disappear. Eventually they'll start killing us off. And don't say that these city people would object, they hate us."

Bolin didn't respond because there was nothing to say. It was true, the ordinary citizens loved in a society of silence. It was cultural really, don't talk about the poor or homeless, don't mention the discrimination or prejudice, never talk about the Triads. If you keep your head down and shut your eyes, then the problems don't exist.

Walking into the warehouse where Varrick worked, Bolin had to struggle not to react to the number of sick people laying there. There were too many for the cots, so now blankets were being laid on the ground for the sick to have somewhere soft to rest. Medics from the military moved between the people while the few prisoners with medical training also helped where they could.

"What happened?" Bolin demanded as an exhausted looking Ahnah joined them heading to the back of the warehouse, "Yesterday there was barely anyone in here."

Ahnah shook her head, despair clear on her face. "Water Nation flu outbreak," was all she could say but it was enough for the simmering quiet rage Bolin felt nowadays to grow. This strain of flu was easily treatable but he doubted they had enough vaccines. Not to mention it only spread in contaminated water so it should be preventable.

"Least it's not cholera," was Varrick's grim announcement when they joined the others, "We can keep this down, but not cholera. There would be an epidemic in days."

Hiroshi let out a mirthless laugh, "That's always a good sign. At least we don't have cholera."

Im Song was the first one to break the heavy silence that pressed down on them all. "Things are getting worse the longer we stay here," he said his voice heavy with hatred. It was a hatred they all knew, hatred for the situation they were all stuck in because they had no other options, "No one will be alive at the end of this."

"Then what do we do?" Akita demanded, her voice tight with pain as she glared at the wall, "Where can we possibly go? Water Nation doesn't want us, and the Fire Nation doesn't have the space. And there's only so much then military can do for us no matter how much they want to help."

Baraz sneered, "And it's not like the Avatar will help us." A silence created by hopelessness fell over them because they knew it was true. Even Bolin who loved Korra like a sister knew she couldn't help. This was a game of politics, a game Korra didn't know how to play. No doubt her help would only make matters worse.

"We're stuck here," Bolin let his eye fell shut as the familiar exhaustion pushed down on him, "With no where to go."

Sunki brightened at that, a slow smile spreading across her face. "No we're not, there's a place we can go," she said breathlessly, "In Omashu we learned about a trading city that was destroyed in the Hundred Years War. It sits abandoned to this very day, no one has tried to reclaim it."

"The city of Taku," Varrick cut in a bright grin crossing his face, "It's true, no one lives there!"

"Isn't it in Earth Kingdom territory then?" Ahnah asked. If it was there was no way for them to actually get the city.

"No, it was part of the territory given over to Republic City," Akita informed them the same hopeful grin on her face, "This could actually work of they give us the city."

"They will. They're not even using it so it shouldn't be too hard to get," Bolin announced, determination clear in his voice, "Akita, I want you to start working on our proposal to claim Taku for the incoming refugees. Everyone else, I want you to start planning on what we need once we get the city. Look into how to get food and water while the city is under construction, see if we can find something to start rebuilding with. Hell, even see if we can build on what's already there to save work. I'll start getting support from the Fire Nation, Air Nomads, and military. If they're on our side Raiko will have to support this."

After that everyone dispersed to start working on their new tasks. It would be hard work to get a full city back under way, but it would be worth it. Especially once they had a place of their own, a new home to start rebuilding and making better. Anything would be better than living in another camp, even the dusty ruins of a broken down city.

"Bolin, Sunki I need to speak with you both," Varrick called out before everyone could leave. The two former experiments shared a confused look before waiting behind for the crazy inventor deeper into the warehouse. Varrick led them past a curtained off area into a smaller laboratory where a pile of machinery stood waiting. Somehow the mess of wires and parts made sense, but Bolin couldn't make heads or tales of the damn thing.

"You're invention seems very..." Sunki paused, no doubt trying to think of the right word for the whole mess, "Interesting?"

Varrick laughed at their confused expressions before digging into the mess. "Interesting is the perfect word for this beauty! This right here is my code machine," Varrick pulled out a sheet of paper from the mess proudly, "I attached it to one of Kuvira's telegraph wires. This allows us to intercept her messages and the machine breaks the code they're in for us to read. I've been passing them on to the military so they can start planning on what to do with the whole mess."

That was ingenious, and it suddenly made Iroh's new wave of information make a lot more sense to Bolin. Iroh had been making plans off of some super secret source which Bolin had purposefully not asked after. He hadn't wanted to force Iroh to reveal anything confidential. And it was incredibly confidential. Varrick had cracked Kuvira's unbreakable code which would change the whole tide of the war.

"But that's not why I called you here! I wanted you to look at this," Varrick handed them a new sheet of paper, "This came in just this morning."

Bolin reached out and quickly skimmed the sheet. He could not believe what he was reading, but even the second time he read the sheet it remained the same. "It's an order for prisoner transfer for the Beifong twins," Bolin informed Sunki softly, "Kuvira's giving them to Hojo for experiments."

Sunki's expression twisted into one of horror, "We need to get them out of there, right now."

"It's got the coordinates on the paper," Varrick explained, "Hurry and do what you need to. Spirits knows what Hojo could accomplish with a couple of Bei Fong's under his control."

Sunki led Bolin from the warehouse, dragging Bolin with her back towards Air Temple Islands at a run. When they reached the island the pair managed to stumble onto a strange sight in the middle of the courtyard. Lin and Opal were there packing for a journey on one of the air bison. "They must be going after their family," Bolin muttered in a low tone. It was an incredibly reckless plan, if they failed Kuvira would have managed to capture the entire Beifong family which would be a disaster for everyone.

Sunki stalked towards them, a scowl planted on her face. "You're going after your family?" She demanded, the usually kind waterbender turned colder than ice at the mention of Hojo.

Lin's eyes narrowed, "Why? You going to stop us little girl?"

"Just the opposite," Sunki informed her cooly, "Bolin and I will be joining you."

Lin's eyes narrowed. "We don't need an armless waterbender to slow us down," she informed Sunki coldly.

Sunki, for her part, stood strong even in the face of Lin's obvious dismissal. "We're the best chance you have," Sunki announced gesturing with her arm towards Bolin, "Bolin and I know how these people work, you have no diea of what you'll be facing."

"She's right," Bolin cut in, "Kuvira's soldiers are...they're monsters. And Sunki and I both know how to deal with them."

"Then I guess you're coming with us," Opal said softly. Bolin nodded, not able to smile with the threat of Hojo hanging over his head.

"Get your water, I need to say goodbye to my son," Bolin murmured, "He's watched me disappear enough."

It wasn't a long walk, Kazuki was waiting in the doorway with a tear stained face. The boy ran forward, wrapping his arms around Bolin's waist with a broken sob. Bolin pulled him in close, burying his face in Kazuki's soft hair. "You're going after Hojo, aren't you?" Kazuki managed to gasp out.

Bolin shut his eye as tears streamed down his face. "I have to kiddo, he's going to hurt a lot of people if I don't stop him," Bolin whispered. "I need you to stay here, and take care of Mako and Pabu for me. Can you do that?"

"I don't want you to go!" Kazuki wailed, "Why does it have to be you?"

"Because there's no one else. Someone needs to stop Hojo and Kuvira, and most people are too afraid. And yes, I'm afraid as well," Bolin admitted softly to his son, "But someone needs to stop them and because no one else will. It has to me. Sometimes there are people who stand up for the little guy and make things right. But other times you need to stand tall and do it yourself. This is one of those times."

Pulling back Bolin brushed Kazuki's hair from his eyes, smiling gently while stepping back. Kazuki was still crying when Bolin clambered onto the air bison next to a still dangerously quiet Sunki. He waved goodbye to Kazuki before losing eye contact as they flew above the cloud line. The ride was quiet and Bolin hated how awkward the air around them was. Sunki was glaring down at the earth passing below them while Lin glared at her. Bolin sat next to Opal quietly on Juicy, his eye shut as he rested before they arrived.

"Why did you decide to come with us?" Opal asked softly. She continued to explain when Bolin turned to her, confusion on his face, "I saw how upset Kazuki was that you were leaving, so why didn't you stay?"

"A couple of reasons. One is that I don't think you or Lin are prepared for what you're going to find there while I've already experienced it first hand," Bolin explained, "Another is because even though we broke up, you're still the greatest person I know and I want to help you. And finally..."

Bolin let out a pained sin, turning his head to stare blankly at the sky his eye haunted, "I'm the only one who can stop Sunki if she loses control and hurts someone."

_Hojo stalked into the room, a sick smile spread across his face as he stared at Bolin who was strapped down to the medical table. "I heard the most interesting news from the guards today," Hojo purred stalking closer to Bolin's prone form, "I was supposed to start working on a cure for homosexuality on that Fire Nation girl when the guards informed me you were taking her place." _

_Hojo placed his hands on either side of Bolin's head, leaning in close to smirk directly into Bolin's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were a faggot Bolin?" Hojo asked sweetly and oh, Bolin wanted nothing more than to punch his teeth out, "Think of all the tests we missed out on becuase you didn't tell me about your perversion." _

_Bolin glared back up at him, "Why would I tell you anything you sick fuck?" _

_"Such hostility from you. It's almost like you don't like me," Hojo let out a pained sounding sigh, "But it doesn't matter as long as we start the procedure. Varrick, if you will?"_

_Bolin couldn't see Varrick from where he was strapped down to the table but he could hear how reluctant the inventor was. But no matter how uncomfortable they were, everyone had to do what was neccessary to survive this. And if that meant letting Varrick torture him for Hojo, then Bolin would suck it up and deal with it. Bolin managed not to flinch as something cold and metallic was placed against his temples. _

_Grudgingly he bit down on a rubber piece that was placed between his teeth. Varrick came into his view, looking tired and pale while placing a gentle hand on Bolin's shoulder. Leaning down close Varrick murmured, "Just hold on a little longer. We're almost ready to get out of here." Bolin nodded and that was when the hell started._

_He'd been electrocuted before. The first time Mako had learned how to lightning bend, he'd accidentally burned Bolin badly. But this was worse than anything else he'd ever faced. Hojo would shock him until Bolin was on the brink of unconciousness before allowing him to recover before beginning the shocks again. _

_"You're desires are controlled by electrical charges released in your brain," Hojo said coldly as Bolin shook and twitched while every muscle screamed in agony, "And this procedures stimulates the other portions which should cure your homosexuality. So tell me Bolin, do you feel cured?"_

_Bolin let out a shuddering sob as the rubber peice was removed from his mouth allowing him to speak for the first time since the so-called treatment started. "After all that," Bolin gasped out, "I just want to find a nice bit strapping man and have him screw my brain's out."_

_Varrick let out a whimpering laugh even as Hojo's face darkened in rage at Bolin's lack of care. "You're insolence is a Fire Nation trait," Hojo sneered caressing Bolin's face before pulling away, "It seems that you're Fire Nation blood is the root of the diseases inside of you, you're lavabending and homosexuality are simply symptoms of the disease. So I must cure you for your treatment to begin."_

_"You can't remove my Fire Nation heritage," Bolin gasped out, "That's insane!"_

_"I know, you're simply too deeply entrenched in Fire Nation perversion. So instead I'm going to turn you into a firebender," Hojo said cruely, a twisted smirk spreading across his face, "And once I've purged the Earth Kingdom from you're blood, it's off to the ovens with you." _

As soon as Juicy landed Bolin was turning to help Sunki dismount from the bison. The waterbender would no doubt have been fine on her own, but with his help she managed to pull off the grade she'd once managed so effortlessly before the camps. Now Sunki just looked kind of pale as she settled down next to Bolin, her legs trembling on the ground.

"You alright?" Bolin asked her softly the deep seated sorry for those from the camps still ingrained in him.

Sunki smiled at him, the first smile she's managed all week. "I'm fine," she whispered in his ear, her hair falling into her eyes again, "I just really hate flying. Ruins all the hard work I did on my hair." She wasn't being vain. It was just...she had very long hair that she couldn't easily pull back with just one hand. It took her about an hour now each morning to get it twisted out of the way.

Bolin winced, sympathizing with her which caused Sunki's smile to grow. It amused everyone watching Bolin struggle with his new lack of depth perception. He had a bad habit of running into doors and tripping over stools much to Sunki's ever growing amusement. "I'll see about finding something to tie your hair back with," Bolin promised before turning back to dig through the packs.

This left Sunki with the other two women who they had followed. She wasn't sure what to think of Lin and Opal Beifong. They seemed like good people but you could never trust people anymore. Sunki had once believed her home city was made of good people but they had turned her over without a second thought.

She was more sure about Lin, the older woman knew about hard choices after working on the police force. She'd understand when Sunki and Bolin unleashed everything they had against the Earth Empire. But not Opal, the girl was young and soft. Unaware of the harsh realities they would face Opal would no doubt balk at the level of brutality that would be unleashed.

The girl just didn't understand the world they would be entering tomorrow, the world of the prison camps and their broken prisoners. The world Sunki had struggled to survive in and Bolin had destroyed. Now they had to walk back into it.

"Are you alright?" Sunki flinched as Opal came up beside her, a worried expression on her face. Sunki's blank stare caused Opal to continue to explain herself, "It's just...you looked so lost right then and I don't want to bother you...but is everything okay?"

No. Nothing would ever be okay, and it would never be as long as Sunki's arm was gone. "I'm fine," she informed Opal coldly turning to study the forest around her, "Don't worry about me, you should be more concerned with your family."

"That's not harsh at all," Bolin chided coming up beside the pair with a hair tie in his scarred hands. He dodn't give Sunki any warning, just started pulling her back into what was no doubt going to be the ugliest braid ever before tying it off. "I'd like to apologize Opal, Sunki's usually way more positive than this but someone seems to be grumpy today."

Sunki whirled to yell at him (she was not grumpy!) but could only freeze when studying Bolin's expression. His remaining eye was wide, his smile stretched thin while his hands twitched. It wasn't much but Sunki knew enough to tell Bolin was terrified out of his mind and trying not to focus on it. So instead of hitting him, Sunki managed to grind out, "You're terrible at braiding hair" before turning away.

Bolin was scared. That was terrifying for her, even when he'd been on the verge of death Bolin had never been this scared. It made Sunki want to run away and hide but she couldn't. This time she had to be the brave one.

A tug on her braid pulled Sunki in closer to Bolin. Leaning in he whispered, "Someon's coming" before letting her go to stand by her side. He made sure to give her enough space to fight in her own, but remained close if she needed him. Sunki hoped they wouldn't have to fight yet, it would be better to conserve their strength for later.

But she was not expecting for Toph Beifong to appear before them with a scowl on her face. Sunki traded a confused look with Bolin while Opal rushed forward to hug her grandmother. "Wasn't expecting this," Bolin muttered a thread of suspicion in his voice, "Womder how she knew we were here?"

"Family probably told her," Sunki murmured noting absently that Lin did not seem pleased to see her mother.

"And who are these two?" It seemed their quiet conversation had caught Toph's attention. It was strange to be studied by a blind woman, but she and Bolin had faced worse. "I wasn't aware you were bringing a cripple with you to fight."

Any hero worship Bolin had held for Toph was gone with that statement. His good eye narrowed, hands clenched into fists even as his body relaxed into a fighting stance. "I assure you, she's more than ready for what we'll face against Kuvira," Bolin ground out tone dangerous.

Toph did not look amused with Bolin's response. "I'll believe that when I see it," she turned her back on them (a dangerous move) before turning to Lin, "So where are we going?"

"The camp if just over those hills to the north," Bolin cut in an icy chill in his voice, "There should be a factory close to it where your family is held."

"And how do you know that?" Toph demanded.

"The boy used to work for Kuvira," Lin informed her mother.

"Damn stupid thing to do," Toph muttered.

Bolin's smile became something dangerous and foreign on his usually cheerful face. "I know right?" Bolin's voice was falsely cheerful, "As soon as I questioned her, Kuvira threw me in the camps!"

"What a bitch," Sunki deadpanned, "Let's get going."


	16. As I Went Down to the River to Pray

It was easy to get a feel for the factory before them. It was the same layout as the factory that had been part of the camp where Bolin and Sunki had been held, but they were making something different here. The factory they had worked in had been a clothing shop but this one was moving metal and seemed to be making machinery. That was all Bolin cared about while they camped out around a small fire that night eating cup of noodle.

"They have a lot of metal moving through the factory floor," Bolin told Sunki, a frown crossing his face as he dug into the food, "So they don't have earthbenders in this camp."

"It's too warm for firebenders to be held safely," Sunki murmured back managing to somehow drink the cup of noodles without spilling it everywhere, "So probably waterbenders and nonbenders are held here. I...I want to save them...but I don't think we have the manpower for that."

Bolin hated to admit it as well, but Sunki was right. They had to focus primarily on saving the Beifongs even if that left the majority of prisoners behind. They would be back for the other prisoners sure, but how many would die from the delay?

"So, boy," Bolin was pulled out of his musing when Toph addressed him. He turned to meet her regard, "I hear you broke up with my granddaughter recently?"

Opal's mortified "grandmother!" was almost drowned out by Sunki choking on the noodles as the waterbender tried not to laugh. Bolin let a small smile cross his face while he settled on the chair. "That's right, I did," Bolin said, "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Nah, I just wanted to know why you would let her go," Toph waved a hand dismissively at him, "She's a good catch."

"She is, which is why we broke up," Bolin explained with an easy shrug, "I'm kind of a giant mess right now, and I didn't want to burden her with that. Not to mention I've got custody of a traumatized ten year old boy which leaves me with no time for a relationship." Which was a lie, and he would pay for it judging by the unamused look on Sunki's face.

That caught Toph's interest. "You're a parent?" a wide grin slid across her face, "Good on you. How'd your son deal with you heading out?"

"He's pretty used to it, I've been busy in Republic City. Besides my older brother is looking after him right now," Bolin smiled cheerfully, "It's good family bonding."

That seemed to set the tone for the rest of the night. Bolin and Toph spoke about raising children (he was not ashamed to beg information on how to deal with a temperamental bender) with the others joining in happily. There was only one instance where Lin and her mother started arguing but that calmed down quickly enough all though the two refused to talk to each other for the rest of the night.

It was almost easy to settle down for the night curled up next to a quiet Sunki. The waterbender's eyes were blank as she gazed up at the stars. She probably wasn't going to sleep tonight.

"You alright," Bolin asked her softly.

Sunki nodded slowly, "Just memories. Being near the camp doesn't help with them." Taking in a shuddering breath, Sunki placed her head against Bolin's shoulder. "Can you sing for me? Something that will make me forget for a while?"

"Sure thing," Bolin began to hum softly before starting to sing softly, "How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man? How many seas must the white dove sail, before she can rest in the sand? How many times must the cannonballs fly, before it is finally banned? The answer my friend is blowin in the wind…

The answer is blowin in the wind."

Bolin was curled up on the railing on the ship as it pushed through the water, heaving weakly while he gazed brokenly down at the waves. He was supposed to be safe and sound in the medical bay of the ship but when he'd woken up on the cot panic had spread through his body sending him running to the deck. He didn't feel any shame for vomiting over the side of the ship. Or from the fact that yellow tears were streaming down his face while he continued to dry heave.

A warm hand pressed against Bolin's back between his prominent shoulder blades. It was the too warm hand of a firebender but it was broader and stronger than any firebender from the camps. Raising his head, Bolin met Iroh's worried gaze. "You should be resting," was all the general said. No questions about if Bolin was alright, or if he wanted to talk about it which was all Bolin had heard since he got on the damn ship. A sudden wave of fondness filled Bolin for Iroh.

"I'm sick of resting," Bolin said weakly body trembling as he struggled to stay standing. He hated how weak his body was after all the time spent in the camps. "I want to be better already, not stuck in bed because…"

Because Hojo had hurt him. Had taken everything Bolin was and crushed it beneath his boot into dust. He'd left Bolin weak and useless for days at a time, often curled up on his bunk suffering in misery. He just wanted to get better.

"I understand," Iroh told him voice low with the sea breeze, "It's easier to get up and keep moving. To pretend like it never happened at all. But it did, and one day you will have to face it."

"I don't know if I can," Bolin whispered.

"You can. And if the other prisoners can't help you then I will. It's the least I can do for you."

That was how it started really, the two of them standing together. The dark backdrop of the black ocean while the stars shone overhead while they talked about anything and everything. Bolin admitted he had no idea how to raise Kazuki, no possible clue what he should do when he returned to Republic City. Iroh spoke about the weight of his crown and how he just wished to remain a soldier for the rest of his life.

They spoke about nightmares and how to deal with the faces of the dead staring back at you during your waking hours. About the rage that festered inside with nowhere to go and about how much you wished you could find the person who hurt you and hurt them even worse. Those hazy nights spent curled together by the ocean were the foundation of something small. It was what caused warmth to spread when they saw each other during the day, what made them share glimpses that led to everyone else sharing knowing looks when Bolin and Iroh were together.

It let them share their first kiss under the stars two days from Republic City. Those quiet nights were the start of their relationship that helped Bolin through the dark nights and back into the light. Bolin didn't know what he would have done without Iroh by his side.

It was early morning, the sun barely peaking out of from behind the mountains when they moved out towards the factory. They'd discovered where Su and her family were being held without too much trouble. The discovery of Zhu Li had added a new factor to the rescue but Lin was sure it would work. Especially with Bolin and his quiet friend on their side.

She had not expected the two to be useful. Bolin was obviously traumatized by his times in the camps and the girl was crippled. They would be a liability. Instead they were the ones who were leading their way through the soldiers. The moment their feet had touched the ground Bolin and Sunki had fallen dead silent. And Lin did mean completely silent. The two had gone so far as to remove their shoes to cut down on the noise they made. They darted from shadow to shadow, keeping low to the ground and out of view. Hell, they were as silent of Opal but didn't have the excuse of using airbending to get around.

There was only a brief scuffle when two guards had stumbled upon them. Bolin had reacted immediatly, almost as if he was expecting them to appear. He lashed out quickly sending a pebble of all things rushing towards the guard. It seemed completely ridiculous but the speed which Bolin sent it hurtling forward to smash into the guard's temple sent the soldier sprawling unconcious. The other soldier started towards them but flinched, his eyes widening in horror for a brief moment. That was all Lin needed to take the soldier down and finish the fight.

After that it was just a matter of some quick earthbending to sneak in. Once again Lin was surprised to see Bolin keeping up with her and Toph. The boy moved quickly and effiecently through the earth, each movement careful to conserve energy but finish the job. With his help they finished diggin down in record time.

"You're pretty good at this," Toph grumbled once they were converged in the tunnel heading towards where the Beifong's were being held. And he was. Bolin had improved by leaps and bounds during his time in the camp. Lin had watched him struggle with his bending before but now he was clearly in his element.

"What did you work with?" Lin demanded.

Bolin's expression shut down at the question for some reason. Sunki however spoke up for the first time since last night. "Frozen earth," she told Lin quietly, "He worked with frozen earth mostly."

That would explain his new prowess. Lin turned away from Bolin even as Opal rested a reassuring hand against his arm. Looked like even if their romantic relationship was over they were still friends which was good.

It only took them a couple more minutes before they found where the rest of the Beifong's were being held. The wooden cage hanging in the middle of the room was the last obstacle they would have to face to save Lin's family and she would be damned if this stopped her. "Alright, I'll get them out. Bolin, you catch them," Lin ordered before swinging forward to the rescue.

Back on the ground Sunki turned to Bolin with a slight smile. "Don't miss," she teased gesturing to his eyepatch, reminding him of his loss of depth perception. Bolin pointedly ignored her focusing on catching the first member of the Beifong clan to be freed. It was going smoothly, just like the rest of this mission had been, but she knew it would end soon. And sure enough, when only Suyin and Lin remained in the cage the door to the cell opened revealing the guards.

Sunki froze, completely and absolutely. She could feel Bolin standing beside her, his eye wide and terrified even as Opal gently pulled at his arm asking what was wrong. They were trapped, prey under the hunter's watch. Because standing across from them was the commandant from their camp, his expression furious when he saw Bolin and Sunki.

"Grab the halfbreeds!" Sunki began to hyperventilate when the commandant began to yell, "The doctor wants them back for tests!"

No, no she was free from the labs. They couldn't take her back, she refused to go back there! She had a new life, a happier one where she was strapped down to a table and hurt over and over again. Spirits, her arm hurt. It was burning through her stump but why couldn't she move it to fight back... "Sunki!" Bolin's voice cut through the panic. It was strong and powerful. Booming through the tunnel it brought her too attention, a powerful force that she focused on, "I need you to stop them! Stop them right now!"

Everything narrowed down to that order. Bolin needed her to fight, so fight she would. Sweeping forward through the Beifong's, Sunki thrust her arm out and willed the soldiers to stop. She curled her fingers, digging past their bodies and deep into their blood. From there it was simple to stop the soldiers in their place, forcing them down to their knees. Here she wasn't weak. Here she was above these soldiers, greater than them.

Sunki would never know how she looked in that moment. A crippled waterbender standing tall and proud, a dark sneer spread across her face while the guards who tortured her writhed on the floor in agony. An avenging angel stood in her place straight out of scary stories used to warn children of dangers. Such a dangerous being could never be controlled.

But somehow someone was able to.

"Sunki!" Bolin's voice cut across her red haze, returning her to the world of them living. She turned and met his eyes, not caring about the terrified expressions everyone else was wearing. "We need to go, now," Bolin ordered and that was all she needed to go sprinting down the tunnel after him.

It was easy to trust Bolin to get her out of the hole, he'd led her from the brink before after all. Still, standing there crouched next to the Beifong family Sunki wondered what they would do next. But then she saw the weapon Kuvira was testing and knew exactly what Bolin was planning to do. He was going to do something really stupid.

A bloodthirsty grin was present on Bolin's face as he turned to her, "You want to show Kuvira not to mess with us?"

"Of course," Sunki purred back reaching for the water she carried, "Let's remind her why she was so afraid of us halfbreeds."

The Earth Empire had heard reports of how camp 7 had fallen. Horror stories of the escaped experiments had spread where just the thought of facing the experiments in battle made the soldiers pale with fear. A one armed waterbender who replaced her kissing arm with ice fight alongside a young man weilding lava like a blade had become famous for their brutality. No one knew how to fight against them and actually win.

Which was why Kuvira's men froze when Bolin and Sunki charged them screaming in rage with murder in their eyes. Sunki had all the water she had been carrying joined at her shoulder, weilding the liquid like a ship as she plowed through the soldiers. Each twist and strike sent spikes of ice flying out to impale even more soldiers. Her other hand clawed through the air bloodbending the soldiers to the ground so her whip would be even more effective.

Bolin was just as deadly of a threat, if not even more terrifying. He twisted and spun through the ranks trailing lava in his wake. Flashes red and yellow were seen moving around him in a dance of death that sent the soldiers screaming to the ground in agony. The lucky ones hit the ground dead. When you actually managed to get sight of Bolin the bending was impressive. He was pulling thin whips of lava from the ground and using them with expert precision before letting them dissipate. The ability to target the weakest points were almost surgical in their perfection.

But what made it hard to hit the pair was their bending style. Bolin and Sunki switched styles as easy as breathing. One second they would be airbending, the next water followed by fire and even air. It made it impossible to counter because no one had ever encountered this type of bending before. And lived to tell the tale that is. It became even worse when Su and Lin joined the fight adding to the sheer destruction.

Bolin zeroed in on Kuvria the moment he saw her, his face going hard. A quick flick of the wrist sent him straight towards her on a path of destruction. Kuvira met him with cold focus, the opposite of Bolin's simmering rage. Metal and lava clashed together for the first time, rage and control facing each other down. Each blast of lava was deflected by metal, each slice of metal was melted away. It was a deadly dance that sent would have been beautiful in any other context.

"I'm surprised by you Bolin," Kuvira gasped out deflecting a headshot, "I never knew you could be so ruthless."

"You can thank your fucking camps for that," Bolin hissed back continuing his offense.

Kuvira sneered, "If I'd know it would toughen you up, I would have sent you there earlier."

A feral scream left Bolin as he sent another wave of lava towards her with a masterful trick of waterbending. "Do you have any idea what they do there!" Bolin screamed at her, pausing to pant while his body shook in rage, "Have you seen what your men do to us?!"

Ripping off his eyepatch Bolin glared back at her. He didn't care that the yellow smeer was clear on his iris. Or that his eye was watering from the sun, sending yellow stained tears streaming down his face. "You did this to me. You and your camps did this," Bolin snarled not caring as Kuvira recoiled from his expression, "You took me and my people and sent us off to die. You slaughtered us like we were less than animals, tortured us, experimented on us. You wanted me to be more brutal?"

A low and fully terrifying dark laugh left Bolin. "Oh Kuvira," a demented smile crossed his face, "You have no idea how brutal I can be."

_Bolin was screaming in agony as he writhed on the medical table, voice cracking on the strain to his vocal chords. His eyes were burning in agony, he wanted to reach up and claw them out. That would make the pain stop. That would make his eyes stop hurting._

_Hojo had done something to his eyes. He'd injected a needle into Bolin's eye and out something in there. He'd dropped chemicals into the other eye so now all Bolin could see was a haze of yellow as he screamed on the table. Yellow tears streamed down his face as he continued to scream._

_Somewhere past him Varrick was getting a cool cloth to cover Bolin's burning eyes. The inventor murmured softly under his breath while trying to get Bolin to calm down. Varrick was thankful that Hojo had left so he could help his friend as best he could. There wasn't much to do. Nothing was sterile in here so anything Varrick used to help could potentially cause an infection._

_With a pained sob Bolin slammed the back of his head into the metal table. He froze when he felt something stirring in the back of his head. It was...almost like he could see the entire lab. He could see Varrick standing close to him with a towel, all of the guards outside the door. But that was impossible._

_Just to check Bolin slammed his head back down and saw everything again. Somehow through this haze of pain and yellow he'd learned how to work seismic sense. A strangled laugh left Bolin's mouth._

_"Kid, what's up?" Varrick asked rushing toward Bolin._

_"I can see..." Bolin whispered his voice hoarse from crying._

_"Um...no you can't," Varrick pointed out, "You're pretty much blind."_

_"Seismic sense. I can use it now," Bolin murmured back a laugh leaving him, "Hojo tried to take away my sight but couldn't. I can see and I fight back."_

_"Well then," Varrick sounded delighted and no doubt had his demented smile on, "What are we waiting for?"_

Bolin could have killed Kuvira easily, just a twist of his wrist and he could separate her head from her body. It would be a favor to the world. But he couldn't. Because Opal needed him to help her save Zhu Li and Bolin couldn't refuse her. Not after she'd just witnessed the massacre he'd created.

So Bolin had left with her, leaving Sunki to clean up the rest of the Earth Empire filth behind them. She could handle them easily. These soldiers were soft unlike the ones from the camps who had given Sunki some problems. Bolin settled down as they started towards the false town focusing on the terrified looking Zhu Li who was chained to a post in the middle of the town.

Bolin slipped from the bison and ran over to her. He didn't focus on Opal assuring Zhu Li that she would be fine instead he stared at the chains. He couldn't metal bend the chains of but he could melt them. It was going to be hard but Bolin knew he could do it. He grabbed a pebble off the ground and held it up focusing his will into the small rock. Quickly he heated it up until it was lava and used it to slice through the chains without burning Zhu Li.

"You should be good to go," Bolin said pulling back from her. "Can you stand?"

"I...yes I can," Zhu Li whispered terrified her eyes wide on Bolin's face. "What happened to your eye?"

"I'll tell you later, we need to move now," Bolin ordered ignoring Opal while hurrying the two girls towards the flying bison. He didn't want to see Opal's reaction to his actions against the soldiers, he'd managed to slaughter enough soldiers in front of her to forever ruin Opal's image of her. His actions worked in their favor just as some sort of explosion headed towards them, blasting through the mountain behind them and continuing onwards.

Bolin twisted around in his seat and could only watch in horror as the vibrant purple light continued towards where the prisoner camp stood. There was no possible way to get there in time to save them. Bolin could only stand there and watch as the entire camp was vaporized. All of those people. Now dead.

How many other people were going to die for Kuvira's mad dream? How many more families would be destroyed before this was over. Well, Bolin was going to end this war so no one else would die. He was sick and tired of having to sit there and wait for someone to say enough to the world. Between Kuvira and the treatment of Republic City's government towards the refugees made him say enough.

Bolin was sick and tired of waiting for people to save him. Where was Mako and Asami when he needed them? Where was Opal and the Beifongs? Where was the Avatar, and why hadn't she stopped this whole mess. Well Bolin couldn't wait anymore and neither could the refugees. The loss of that one camp showed him what he needed to make the final decision.

The refugees were going to Taku as soon as Bolin returned. He was done with people hurting them, so he would make sure they stayed safe.


End file.
